A very ambitious attempt to spell out China's intellectual history from a view that rejects the idea of philosophical history as the intellectual history of the masses. It's nowhere near perfect, but it shows off the vast knowledge base and understanding of ancient texts, history of art and objects, and history, and tries to (in my opinion quite successfully) demonstrate how rationality is created in a seemingly irrational world. I suggest the best or the most accessible way to read it, as suggested by how the author has divided the books chronologically, given that one has a somewhat decent understanding of the basics of Chinese thought, is to jump to the sections that interest you the most. I found some phrases used to comment on the past quite critical and astute for the present.