This remarkable inside look at the world of public service is poles apart from past satirical exposes of official corruption published under titles such as Officialdom Unmasked, Vignettes from the Late Ching, and Li Zhongwu's classic Thick Face, Black Heart.
難得的是，這本由公務員自家人談自家事的奇書，與過去暴露官僚惡習醜態的《官場現形記》、《二十年目睹之怪現狀》、《厚黑學》等嬉笑怒罵、尖酸刻薄的諷刺文風截然不同。