The Book of Lord Shang: A Detailed Guide

The Book of Lord Shang may not have been written by Lord Shang himself, but it does reflect Shang Yang's ideas. The reason to annotate this work is that its ideas influenced all of Chinese history after the Pre-Qin era. Once readers understand the book, they will grasp the logic behind many historical events: for example, why Qin Shi Huang launched the "burning of books and burying of scholars," why Emperor Wu of Han "dismissed the Hundred Schools and honored Confucianism alone," why Emperor Taizu of Song favored civil affairs over military affairs, why Emperor Taizu of Ming closed the country to the outside world and selected officials through the Eight-legged Essay, and why China fell so far behind the world in the late Qing. Once you understand The Book of Lord Shang, you can even uncover the logic behind the course of history.