Dream Pool Essays
The Dream Pool Essays or Dream Torrent Essays was an extensive book written by the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo (1031–1095) by AD 1088, during the Song dynasty (960–1279) of China. Although Shen was previously a highly renowned government official and military general, he compiled this enormous written work while virtually isolated on his lavish garden estate near modern-day Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province. He named the book after the name he gave to his estate, the "Dream Brook". The literal translated meaning is "Brush Talks from a Dream Brook", and Shen Kuo is quoted as saying: