The introduction of steamships to East Asia in the 19th century had a considerable impact on water transportation in that region,which remains the most fuel-efficient transportation method even now.The steamship was a symbol of exceptional western technology when it spread throughout the world.The book under review is a revision of author's PhD thesis,focusing on the effects of steamships,a modern technology from the mid-19th century to 1937,upon the development of commerce in Chinese inland waters.