Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. List of Illustrations viii
4. Acknowledgments ix
5. Permissions xiii
6. Conventions xv
7. Introductory Remarks xvii
8. Patterns
9. 1. Landmarks and Time-marks 3
10. 2. Humans v. Elephants: The Three Thousand Years War 9
11. 3. The Great Deforestation: An Overview 19
12. 4. The Great Deforestation: Regions and Species 40
13. 5. War and the Logic of Short-term Advantage 86
14. 6. Water and the Costs of System Sustainability 115
15. Particularities
16. 7. Richness to Riches: The Story of Jiaxing 167
17. 8. Chinese Colonialism: Guizhou and the Miao 216
18. 9. The Riddle of Longevity: Why Zunhua? 273
19. Perceptions
20. 10. Nature as Revelation 321
21. 11. Science and Superfauna 369
22. 12. Imperial Dogma and Personal Perspectives 413
23. Concluding Remarks 454
24. Notes 472
25. Bibliography 530
26. Index 548