[5] In a review for The Review of Politics, Karen Turner described it as "very well-grounded in literary theory and comparative studies" but "clearly aimed to appeal to a scholarly audience of China specialists familiar with the debates surrounding these two ancient texts.
"[6] Reviewing it for The Journal of Asian Studies, professor Stephen Durrant praised the book as "worth reading, pondering, and consulting over and over again", adding that it "deserves a prominent place on the bookshelf of every student of early China.
"[5] University of Wisconsin-Madison William Nienhauser wrote in the Journal of the American Oriental Society that "this is a book that should be read once by all students of early China" and re-read.
[7] In the Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, professor Martin Kern of Princeton University wrote a lengthy review, and concluded, "David Schaberg's work will prove invaluable for all further study of Chinese historiography, anecdotal narrative, and rhetoric.
It gives great pleasure through its intelligent argument, fine phrasing, and comprehensive scholarship.