Print Communication in the Late Ming Dynasty

1. Read the introduction first to clarify how the author defines print communication and the analytical framework of communication studies.
2. Read alongside foundational works on late Ming social economy and literati culture to lower the threshold of understanding.
3. After each chapter, try to restate its chain of argument in your own words to check whether you have followed the line of thought.
4. Excerpt passages of historical-material analysis for later comparison with case studies in book history.

Founded in 1985, Social Sciences Academic Press (SSAP) is known for its "Pishu" (Blue Book) series, Pishu database, and academic journals, and has long been dedicated to professional academic publishing in the humanities and social sciences. The books in the library cover foreign literature, social sciences, world history, historical reading, politics, and classical poetry. They include cross-cultural works such as The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai (3 volumes, centenary commemorative revised edition) and Similar in Form, Different in Essence: What Are the Structural Differences Between Traditional Chinese and Japanese Political Cultures, as well as world history translations such as The Hundred Years War, Volume 1: Trial by Battle (2 volumes) and To End All Wars: Loyalty, Rebellion, and World War I (1914–1918), along with social science and historical studies such as Six Essays on Spontaneity: Autonomy, Dignity, and Meaningful Work and Play, The Return of the Fierce General: A New Jiangnan History of Dongting East Mountain, and An Example-Based Guide to the Method of Organizing Tang Poetry Documents. Its authors include Yehuda Amichai, Fu Hao, Ge Zhaoguang, Jonathan Sumption, and Adam Hochschild. Public information is limited, so this introduction focuses on the publishing directions reflected in the library's books.