Jade Life

Book excerpt: Jade is often thought of as something ancient and gathering dust in museums, but in China it is a vibrant part of modern life. More jade has been carved this century than in the rest of human history combined. For Chinese people, jade represents everything that is pure and noble, and Andrew Shaw gave up his life in England to embrace it, and became the only foreign master jade carver in China. Jade Life tells his story and also the story of jade itself. His description of the jade industry today provides insights into the hearts of Chinese people and also into how they have managed to turn a backwater state into a world superpower in less than three decades.