Richly informed by in-depth field and archival research, this book offers a synthetic and accessible analysis of contemporary Vietnam. After decades of war and a socialist transformation, the country has moved toward a market economy. Echoing that shift, Vietnamese society itself has undergone significant changes, marked by increasing socioeconomic disparities among regions and within localities, greater unrest both in urban and rural areas, and a revitalization of religious and folk rituals. Moving beyond the standard emphasis on the Vietnam War and Vietnamese politics and economy, this...