What could a modern merchant do in late Ming Shanxi? Would he become the leader of the Shanxi merchants? Would he become as wealthy as a nation? Would he win over the people, establish a council, and ultimately transform the Ming Dynasty into a vast joint-stock company? Would he establish a merchant corps, motivate his soldiers with profit, and ultimately gain supreme power? All this is revealed in Ming Dynasty 1617, a book that explores the Ming Dynasty from a merchant's perspective. We look forward to traveling through time and space with you to forge our shared new Ming Dynasty.