Classical China's world of ideas set it apart from every other nation, although Chinese culture is still poorly understood in the West. Drawing on evocative examples from philosophical texts, literature, and everyday life throughout Chinese history, Roel Sterckx introduces major thinkers and traditions; illuminates key concepts like the dao, qi, yin, and yang; and examines questions of leadership, social order, death, and nature. He also reveals how these ideas shape contemporary China, from table manners at a traditional banquet, to the Chinese obsession with education and family, to the rhetoric of political leaders and the nation's grand strategy.