| Maps and Illustrations | xi | ||
| Author's Note | xiii | ||
| Prologue | 1 | ||
| 1. The Barbarian and the Celestial | 11 | ||
| 2. Bringing Fuel in Snowy Weather | 61 | ||
| 3. The Discovering of China | 97 | ||
| 4. The Rewards of Restlessness | 133 | ||
| 5. The Making of His Masterpiece | 168 | ||
| 6. Persona Non Grata: The Certain Fall from Grace | 199 | ||
| 7. The Passage to the Gate | 217 | ||
| Epilogue | 253 | ||
| Appendix I: Chinese Inventions and Discoveries with Dates of First Mention | 267 | ||
| Appendix II: States, Kingdoms, and Dynasties of China | 279 | ||
| Acknowledgments | 281 | ||
| Suggested Further Reading | 285 | ||
| Index | 295 |