Those interested in life in pre-1949 Shanghai might be interested in reading Hanchao LU, Beyond the Neon Lights: Everyday Life in Early Twentieth Century Shanghai, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999. As noted in today's orientation, Lu's book was recognized by the Urban History Association as the best work in urban history published in 1999-2000. A story about the book is available at:
http://www.international.ucla.edu/asia/article.asp?parentid=1046
.