{"product_id":"cultural-mavericks-zheng-liu-9780231200127","title":"Cultural Mavericks: The Business and Politics of Independent Bookselling in China","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn recent decades, self-proclaimed \"independent bookstores\" have arisen across China. In the West, such retailers represent an alternative to corporations and chains. In China, by contrast, they differentiate themselves from not only the state-owned Xinhua Bookstore but also other privately owned shops through an emphasis on intellectual independence and the free exchange of ideas. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eCultural Mavericks\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers inside the world of independent bookselling in China, showing how a wide range of figures navigate the challenges of book retailing in the digital age amid rapidly shifting social, political, and economic dynamics. Drawing on more than a decade of immersive research--including interviews, observations, and extensive documentary analysis--Zheng Liu unveils how these bookstores carve out a unique identity and market position. She develops the concept of \"culturally adapted strategy\" to explain how independent bookstores--as both dedicated cultural institutions and resilient business enterprises--balance economic imperatives with a deep commitment to intellectual autonomy. Liu challenges the tendency to understand nonstate cultural institutions in China in terms of resistance, arguing that independent bookstores engage with politics as a strategic means of differentiation from the competition. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRichly detailed and compellingly written, \u003ci\u003eCultural Mavericks\u003c\/i\u003e sheds new light on the interplay among culture, commerce, and politics in China, offering timely insights into the evolving dynamics of China's book industry and wider cultural economy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Zheng Liu\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0231200129\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780231200127\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/27\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.75d","brand":"Zheng Liu","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48114054791423,"sku":"9780231200127","price":120.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_bbd8f587-4e6b-4ad8-af95-8c3310fc0263.jpg?v=1769618821","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/cultural-mavericks-zheng-liu-9780231200127","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}