China Condensed: 5000 Years of History and Culture by Ong Siew Chey

About four to five thousand years ago, the fertile flatlands of the middle Yellow River slowly emerged and grew to what we know today as China. Throughout the millennia, this civilization has slowly evolved to be one of the world's biggest economies to reckon with today. This book is a quick introduction to China, with the major part being devoted to its long history. The reader is taken on an insightful journey through the dynasties and learns first hand the major evolutionary changes in almost every aspect of China's development, particularly in arts and culture.