As you can probably tell from my post, I was reading it purely for background for a panel, and inasmuch as it told me a lot of things I didn't know with a fair amount of verve and fun, I liked it; I wasn't reading it terribly critically, as you can also probably tell.

I think the tranche method can be really apt--Joan Piggot's book on ancient Japan in particular is a really great success with it--or really dangerous. I'm thinking of using it for my dissertation, I admit, which leaves me sensitized. I should go back over Foster.