 E. Francis Brown , writing for Current History , approved of the book 's comprehensive and frank discussion of conditions within China . Though the book takes a strongly negative stance towards China , Brown argued that " this very unfriendliness makes the book a welcome antidote to much that has been written in recent years and some of its conclusions might be well pondered by those who shape America 's Far Eastern Policy . " Willis J. Abbot of the Christian Science Monitor especially praised Townsend 's study of the social life and customs of the Chinese and claimed that " Any capable observer with a few weeks at his disposal in China will corroborate much that appears in this volume . " His praise was echoed by Douglas Jerrold of The English Review who found the work " brilliant and outspoken " . 
