Shenghuo-Dushu-Xinzhi Joint publishing Company ("SDX Joint Publishing Company" for short) was originally Life Bookstore (Shenghuo Shudian), Reading Publishing (Dushu Chubanshe) and New Knowledge Bookstore (Xinzhi Shudian), founded by Zou Taofen, Li Gongpu, Qian Junrui and others in the 1930s, publishing progressive books and periodicals, advocating advanced thoughts and theories, disseminating scientific knowledge and advancing national liberation and democratic movements, which activities made SDX become the representative of China's advanced publishing industry. In 1948, the three publishers joint together and established SDX Joint Publishing Company in Hong Kong.

During the years of being vice-licensing publishing house of People Press since 1951, SDX Joint Publishing Company had published many books on politics, economy and culture related to socialist construction to meet the need of readers in every quarter.

SDX has been growing rapidly since the inception of reform and open up policy. In the year 1979, Reading Monthly was issued with an opening of "No Forbidden Zone in Reading" and published lots of significantly influential articles successively that promoted ideological liberation movement. From then on, this journal has become the spirit home of Chinese intellectuals. At the same time, SDX published a large number of high-quality academic works for people who had suffered from spiritual hunger and hence promoted the cultural revival.

In 1986, SDX Joint Publishing Company came back to an independent press and has developed into a comprehensive publishing house concentrating on social science and human science studies. Its publications cover philosophy, politics, history, economy, literature, art and reference books. In 2002, SDX became a member of China Publishing Group. Working towards the objective of "serve the readers wholeheartedly" and defining "Humanitarianism & Wisdom" as its tenet, SDX always demands itself to be the best and a vanguard publisher. In the past twenty years, over three thousand titles of books have been published, among which Works of Chen Yinque, Works of Qian Zhongshu, SDX & Harvard-Yenching Academic Library series are provided with important ideological, cultural and social value. Fu Lei's Family Correspondences, Ba Jin Random Thoughts, We Three (Yang Jiang 2003), John Maynard Keynes 1883-1946 (Robert Skidelsky 2006) and many other cultural readings are always in great demand since published. SDX is also famous for its series books like Modern Western Academic Library, The Frontiers of Academia, Culture & Life, New Knowledge, The Origin of Western Scholarly Study and etc. which introduced many worthy foreign theories and academic studies to Chinese readers. The Lonely Planet guidebooks released recently became dramatically popular among travel lovers. SDX gains good reputation within the industry and from its readers for its strong brand identity and plays a key role in cultural and academic publication.

Besides book publishing, SDX is also committed to journals. Reading Monthly, Life Weekly, Philharmonic Quarterly and Advantage Monthly were founded successively in 1994. Until now, Philharmonic Quarterly has become an important journal of classical music; Life Weekly is rated the most influential magazine in China; Advantage Monthly is also a distinctive one among different financial magazines. In recent years, the Company started to invest in multimedia publishing. In 1996, SDX established SDX Taofen Book Center, which is now one of the best human and social science book stores in Beijing.