Two melons anomalously growing on a single stem, presented to emperor Ming Taizu in 1372, is the pivotal symbol Schneewind (history, U. of California-San Diego) uses to explore relations between classes in China during the Ming period (1368-1644). The emperor's response is discussed in one chapter and reproduced, including the poetry, in another. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)