Ole Bruun is associate professor in the Department of Geography and International Development Studies at the University of Roskilde in Denmark.

Ole Bruun's work depicts the life of a community of Mongolian livestock herders as they begin to adjust to life outside of their contained Soviet-style collectives. The author identifies and addresses the most essential conditions for their continued existence in the age of the market: the adaptability of their own culture and working strategies, government policy, and international attention.

Chapter 1 Khotont sum in Recent Mongolian History 2 Khotont People and Their Herds 3 Cycles of Movement and Work 4 Social Organization and Family Life 5 The Politics of Buddhist Revival 6 Time and Tradition on the Steppe 7 Nomads in the City 8 Development Options 9 Herders, State Formation and the Chinese Connection