Covering the three centuries of the Tang dynasty (618-907), Benn (U. of Hawai'i) discusses the material and cultural existence of daily living in China. Because the only written material available from those times were authored by members of the nobility, the material is naturally lacking in descriptions of peasants, merchants, artisans, and slaves, instead focusing on intellectuals, clergy, and patricians. Separate chapters are devoted to cities and urban life, houses and gardens, clothes and hygiene, food, leisure and entertainment, travel and transportation, crime and punishment, health, and death and the afterlife. B&w illustrations dot the text, demonstrating what many of the artifacts and processes discussed looked like. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)