'This is an empirically rich, methodologically innovative, must-read book for anyone interested in sexuality, ethnographic methods, and law and society in China and beyond. Scholars, activists, and policymakers alike will find it accessible and informative. Essential.' L. Ma, CHOICE ' a significant and insightful contribution to the literature on prostitution regulation, law enforcement, public health and women's rights. It will be a valuable source for scholars in law, political science, sociology and China studies, as well as for anyone interested in the governance of sex work.' Anqi Shen, China Quarterly 'Boittin provides a case study of the role of law in Chinese everyday life and its impact on female sex workers, street-level police officers, and frontline public health officials, with a focus on how the laws that govern sex work affect those actors.' Howard S. Erlanger, Law & Social Inquiry 'The book is most interesting when it examines how these women see themselves, rather than the state's perception of their illicit work. In her fieldwork, Boittin, sometimes accompanied by a research assistant, boldly sallies forth into the demimonde of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and elsewhere to conduct one-on-one interviews with an array of insiders covering the full gamut of China's sex industry. Boittin's interviewees are clear-eyed and calculating about their situation, even if some are fanciful to the point of delusion, with some women long in the game promising themselves just a couple more years before heading back to the family farm for a bucolic retirement. These conversations reveal fascinating differences between how workers of differing status view their profession.' Robert Foyle Hunwick, China Books Review
