"Why do women prefer men who remember their birthdays two days too late? What is the point of taking a stroll? And why does looking at a lake make us feel calm?"

Through his collection of stories, essays, thoughts and meanderings, prose philosopher Mu Tao gives us a tantalising glimpse into the colourful lives and landscape of Shaanxi Province. Combining intriguing personal asides, wry observations and pithy ponderings, he presents a unique collection of colourful vignettes that, together, create a richly pigmented picture of lives well-lived in an ever-evolving world.

This book is part of Shaanxi Stories, a series of translated works by acclaimed authors from the Shaanxi province of China, produced by Valley Press in collaboration with Northwest University, Xi’an. The series editors are Hu Zongfeng and Robin Gilbank.