This volume brings together within a single set of covers much of what the author has written about Vietnam over the past forty years. The book opens with an autobiographical account of his history as a Vietnam researcher that sets each of the selections into the context of the time and situation in which it was written. The writings are grouped into five topical sections. Each part includes a brief introduction that describes the selections it contains. Part I deals with cultural history, religion, and cultural ecology, Part II with the Vietnamese village, Part III with the impact of the war on South Vietnamese society, Part IV with Vietnam's development prospects in the its reform period, and Part V with problems of development in Vietnam's mountains.