Introduction: re-discovering Lin Yutang in the post-Mao era
Chinese modernity: nationalism, imperialism, and the liberal cosmopolitan alternative
Enlightenment and national salvation: the politics of a liberal nationalist
"Little critic:" "returned" professionals and the cosmopolitan modern
A cross-cultural aesthetics of life: translating "xingling" into "self-expression," "xianshi" into "leisure" and "humor" into "youmo"
Oriental other: the business of translating Chinese and American cultures
Cosmopolitan difference: critique of imperialism and debating "Chinahands"
Conclusion: what a liberal cosmopolitan alternative means for contemporary Chinese intellectual dilemma
Appendix. Chronology of Lin Yutang.