The golden age of Daoists, rather than being imaginary, closely matches life in the Mesolithic, ca. 9000-5000 BCE, a sedentary form of hunting and gathering before the full development of agriculture and the rise of stratified societies and discriminating consciousness. Pristine Affluence examines fundamental values, social structure, leadership ideals, nonviolence, Daoist diet, gender equality as well as forms worship and self-cultivation within this context An enlightening account of Daoism in the context of human development since the Paleolithic, it offers a new vision of the Daoist tradition, Chinese history, and essential human choices.