"The easiest way to see Chinese history is in terms of cyclical rotations or sequences, and I think you could argue there was no compelling move toward an ultimate objective. Along with the cyclicality you could argue there was a recurrence of the forms of disruption and unity in creative tension. The Chinese view is also very pessimistic; you know when you're in a cycle of decline. I've always been fascinated by whether that effected your imagination and your very lifestyle."
Jonathan D. Spence got his B.A. from Cambridge University and, in 1965, his Ph.D. from Yale. He got a teaching post at Yale shortly thereafter and has been associated with that university ever since.
A reader wrote a review on The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci
Great, just Great. The books moves quickly even if it is oddly organized. I used it as introduction to the Jesuits as well as a nice way to hear about the adventures of crazy Europeans butting into the world's business half a millenia ago. I especially enjoyed the background Spence provides about Ricci's schooling and what was going on in Italy while Ricci was growing up.
Great, just Great. The books moves quickly even if it is oddly organized. I used it as introduction to the Jesuits as well as a nice way to hear about the adventures of crazy Europeans butting into the world's business half a millenia ago. I especially enjoyed the background Spence provides about Ricci's schooling and what was going on in Italy while Ricci was growing up.