I liked the content. It’s better to read books by Chinese politicians than books by Americans about Chinese politicians. Zhao Ziyang seems like an older liberal mirror of Bo Xilai, both his rise and fall (well.. 下台) are illuminating into how the Communist party operates.
I disliked the packaging. The mechanical translation, with phrases like “We needed to use the sharp knife to cut through the knotted hemp”, was far too literal and jarring. The editor’s notes before each section were annoying. The ordering of the book was strange.