The Book of Lord Shang

No one in the world is more qualified than Yuri Pines to present this new translation of the infamous The Book of Lord Shang, which has both fascinated and repelled readers throughout Chinese history. Accompanied by a superbly informed study of Lord Shang's place in his political context and the reliability of the text attributed to him, this is sure to be the standard translation for decades to come. -- Paul R. Goldin, author of Confucianism A magisterial study and translation, this new edition of The Book of Lord Shang provides, finally, full access to one of the foundational texts of ancient Chinese political thought. Pines, the leading Western authority in the field, sets the standard of excellence for exploring the intellectual origins of the Chinese imperial state-and even the relevance of Lord Shang's ideas to China's political debates today. -- Martin Kern, author of The Stele Inscriptions of Ch'in Shih-huang: Text and Ritual in Early Chinese Imperial Representation This thorough study and complete translation of The Book of Lord Shang is a major achievement. It will open many avenues for research into early political thought, a long neglected core topic of early Chinese philosophy. -- Carine Defoort, coeditor, The Mozi as an Evolving Text: Different Voices in Early Chinese Thought The Book of Lord Shang is one of the most important texts of political theory in the classical Chinese tradition. Pines does an outstanding job of translating the work in its entirety. He also provides an invaluable introduction to the text, the historical context within which it was written, and the nature of the political theory found therein. A wonderful work that will help this text achieve the prominence that it deserves. -- Michael Puett, coauthor of The Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About the Good Life Pines has rescued an important political and philosophical text from unjustified neglect. His fascinating introduction locates the work within its historical context and intellectual tradition most admirably. Lord Shang's policy recommendations are as bold and uncompromising-even shocking-to readers today as they were to its original audience. A lucid and highly recommended translation. -- Robin D. S. Yates, translator of Five Lost Classics: Tao, Huang-lao, and Yin-yang in Han China