Preface >b>December 1978. Depth of winter. China.>/b>

On the dry, cracked land of the northern Huai River region in Anhui Province, a small group of emaciated men sat trembling in a dirt hut under the dim light of a kerosene lamp as they signed their names to a piece of yellow paper. ⦠On the upper portion of the document was written: "We hereby pledge to divide the land to individual households. ⦠If it fails, we know we will lose our heads. We have arranged for our children to be cared for until the age of 18." These were common folks without much educationâperhaps no more than elementary schoolingâbut what they did that day was to release a force of social energy that could not be terminated.