<DIV><DIV><DIV>Fresh out of journalism school, Chinese-American writer Jen Lin-Liu moves to China to learn about the country her grandparents fled half a century before. In the booming coastal cities and remote inland villages, she discovers a passion for China&#8217;s rich cuisine and embarks on a culinary journey to reconnect with her roots. <P></P><P></P>Lin-Liu gives a memorable and mouthwatering cook&#8217;s tour of today&#8217;s China as she progresses from entry-level lessons in an unheated local cooking school (with nary a measuring cup in sight) to a noodle-stall and dumpling-house apprentice, to an internship at a chic Shanghai restaurant. Along the way, she meets young men and women streaming in from the countryside in search of a "rice bowl" (living wage), a burgeoning middle class hungry for luxury, and mentors who introduce her to Chinese life within and beyond the kitchen. <I>Serve the People </I>presents an unforgettable slice of contemporary China in the full swing of social and economic transformation, and the story of a young woman finding an unexpected path home. <P></P></DIV>