"The scholarship is excellent, and the book is a culmination of a massive project of exhaustive research that has occupied Dardess for many years."--Robert Hymes, author of Ordering the World "An important book, by an important historian. Not only did I gain a remarkable set of insights into Ming political and intellectual history from time invested in these pages, it was a genuine pleasure to read."--William T. Rowe, author of Hankow