Pan and Kadar's exciting research compares historical and contemporary Chinese (im)polite communication norms and maps the similarities and differences between them. Considering the importance of China on the world stage, understanding Chinese politeness norms is pivotal, to both experts of communication studies and those who have interactions with the Chinese community. 'This is an impressive book which is intended for both researchers in the Chinese language and also for non-Chinese scholars. There is a wealth of examples to illustrate the authors' argument and the book brings great insight into current and historical politeness, but it also forces readers to consider the way that status and deference play a role in politeness and impoliteness in other languages such as English.'; - Professor Sara Mills, Sheffield Hallam University, UK