O.A. Westad, author of Restless Empire: China and the World since 1750
“A fine account of Confucius' world, and of the use and misuse of the Master's thinking throughout Chinese history. Whoever wants to understand China must start with Master Kong!”
Jon Huntsman, former United States Ambassador to China
“Michael Schuman's book is nothing short of indispensable reading for anyone trying to comprehend the local, regional, and global impact of China and its motivating philosophical underpinnings. Today's China is an extension of its past and Confucius' guiding influence remains at its core. China is incomprehensible without this intellectual framework. To that end, Confucius is a generationally significant contribution.”
Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
“To understand the philosophical heart of East Asia, read this book. In his vibrant and engaging portrait of Confucius, Michael Schuman gives us the sage as we've never seen him, undeniably shaping modern politics, business, and private life for a quarter of humanity. It is a marvel of intelligent research, great reporting, and clear analysis.”
Winner of the 2015 Nautilus Book Award winner in the Religion/Spirituality of Eastern Thought category
Wall Street Journal
“Lively and well-rounded.... A very satisfying account.”
Asian Review of Books
“Wonderful.... No reader could do better than Michael Schuman as a contemporary guide to Confucius. Confucius emerges from these pages a real human figure, not an icon from the past, and his philosophy is attractive and alive, too.”
Literary Review (UK)
“Schuman has done a difficult thing. He has produced a book introducing new readers to a great subject in plainly written English, while explaining with considerable force the ideas related to that subject, which happens to be one on which academics and politicians hold strongly differing opinions. [An] enlightening and well-balanced book.”
Open Letters Monthly“It's not easy to write well for non-experts about a deeply foreign system of thought. It's virtually impossible to do so fairly when that system has developed over millennia and continues to animate people increasingly feared as civilizational rivals. But Michael Schuman has done it, telling the story of Confucianism, explaining what makes it unique, and considering with refreshing fairness the challenge it poses to the complacency of western culture — all in a short book composed with the vivid energy of journalism.”
Publishers Weekly“Part biography, part history, and part analysis of Chinese current affairs, this remarkable book…traces the lasting influence of Confucianism in China, despite enormous political and social changes in Chinese society.”
Library Journal“A great read for anyone interested in Confucius, philosophy, or culture in East Asia.”
NPR's International Desk's list of Favorite Reads of 2015“The book has an interesting structure that looks at Confucius from various angles — as a man, a sage, a chauvinist, a businessman — that allows Schuman to track Confucius' life, teachings and relevance over time. Schuman sprinkles easily digestible anecdotes throughout the book including original reporting and observations of his own.”
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