Download or read book Golden-Silk Smoke written by Carol Benedict and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-04-10 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Tobacco has been pervasive in China almost since its introduction from the Americas in the mid-sixteenth century. One-third of the world's smokers--over 350 million--now live in China, and they account for 25 percent of worldwide smoking-related deaths. This book examines the deep roots of China's contemporary "cigarette culture" and smoking epidemic and provides one of the first comprehensive histories of Chinese consumption in global and comparative perspective"--Publisher's description.