Book excerpt: Written for his dissertation at Harvard in 1993, Hinsch's (history, National Chung Cheng U., Taiwan) fascinating study of women during the Qin and Han periods in China provides a useful addition to the history of ancient women as well as life in early imperial China. The lives of women and their roles are examined in several contexts, including cosmology, kinship, law, government, learning, and ritual. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.