Preface：Mao Zedong and His Era
Four gunshots and the fate of China
From "Old China" to "New China"
Why did he become the soul of the era?
Before the mission of the times
Roads， dreams， and legends
Chapter One Historical Questions and Answers
"Grand unity is great strength"
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun"
"It takes a great party to guide a great revolution"
The will of the people trumps everything
Chapter Two What Was "New" About New China?
New image of national independence
New look of people's liberation
New situation of national unity
Chapter Three Entering Socialism
It is only a matter of time before we build socialism
Why set the clock forward?
A road of peaceful transformation
Chapter Four Breakthroughs in the Cold War Context
Siding with the Soviet Union
Strike first to spare being stricken a hundred times
Tearing apart the trade blockade
Two international conferences， one Chinese approach
Chapter Five Top-Level Design
Why 1956?
Clarifying the "Ten Major Relationships"
A grand meeting and a new route
Judgments and choices during an "eventful year"
Chapter Six Periods of Planning
How was the economic plan compiled?
Food， clothing and daily necessities for the people
"Do not rush the construction of socialism"
From development strategy to economic layout
Chapter Seven Policy Toward Intellectuals
Originally "intellectuals"
Solidarity， education and transformation
Let a hundred flowers bloom， let a hundred schools of thought contend
Winning the battle of science and technology
Chapter Eight Transforming Social Traditions
Removing "malignant tumors" and old customs
The new social customs
A dualistic structure of rural and urban areas
The spirit of the times
Chapter Nine National Governance
Break the "cycle of history"
How were the "nation's leaders" tempered?
"A game of chess， and a bamboo pole"
On the Cultural Revolution
Chapter Ten New Role in the International Arena
Deterioration of Sine-Soviet relations
Friends in the "intermediate zones"
A handshake across the Pacific
Back to the UN
Postscript
