For communists, the "nationalities problem" has always beenthe major stumbling block to the realization of their socialgoals. Mao Zedong believed that it would take the longest tosolve. "First, classes will be eliminated, then nations, andfinally nationalities. Throughout the world it is the same" (p.113). Inasmuch as policies on nationalities have been theAchilles' heel of the various Chinese communist experiments,it is surprising that it took so long for scholars, especiallythose in the West, to examine the mainland's largest ethnicminority, the Zhuang. Kaup's fine little book goes a long wayto filling the void.