Zhang Yingyu (fl. 1612-1617) lived during the Wanli period (1573-1620) of the Ming dynasty. Christopher Rea is associate professor of Asian studies at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of The Age of Irreverence: A New History of Laughter in China (2015), and the editor of several books, including Humans, Beasts, and Ghosts: Stories and Essays by Qian Zhongshu (Columbia, 2011). Bruce Rusk is associate professor of Asian studies at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Critics and Commentators: The Book of Poems as Classic and Literature (2012).

• Maps Translators' Introduction Type 1: Misdirection and Theft Type 2: The Bag Drop Type 3: Money Changing Type 4: Misrepresentation Type 5: False Relations Type 6: Brokers Type 7: Enticement to Gambling Type 8: Showing Off Wealth Type 9: Scheming for Wealth Type 10: Robbery Type 11: Violence Type 12: On Boats Type 13: Poetry Type 14: Fake Silver Type 15: Government Underlings Type 16: Marriage Type 17: Illicit Passion Type 18: Women Type 19: Kidnapping Type 20: Corruption in Education Type 21: Monks and Priests Type 22: Alchemy Type 23: Sorcery Type 24: Pandering Appendix 1: Preface to A New Book for Foiling Swindlers: Strange Tales from the Rivers and Lakes (1617), by Xiong Zhenji Appendix 2: Story Finding List Bibliography

Overall, the collection deserves the highest praise one can give a publication of popular stories: it’s a lot of fun. The scams are wide-ranging in type, the plot devices ingenious, and the translation is carried off with great sensitivity both to the original text and to the audience reading it today.