"What happened to Maoism? Kalpana Misra's excellent analysis of the complex and lingering death of theory in Chinese Communist politics reveals how official ideology lost its privileged position in public discourse. Her meticulously researched study shows how, despite some intelligent efforts to make Chinese Marxism relevant to the changes sweeping across the nation, China's reform-era elite proved incapable of achieving meaningful intellectual consensus. The resulting Party positions cannot be seen as guides to action, but as post-Marxist rationalizations which will not endanger elite interests." -- Richard Kraus, University of Oregon