So would AC D be correct if the stimulus said: "only if Skiff's book is both as important and as well written as Skiff claims"? Would this language be strong enough to show that BOTH A (Important) + B (Well-Written) are needed in tandem to yield C (Published)?

This is the worst RC Passage I've ever read. I average -2/-3 on full RC sections but -4 on this passage alone. Shit's ridiculous, I better never see this again.

@PaulABrox The conclusion doesn't depend on AC E as an assumption. It does depend on AC D, however.

This is one of those questions where I find it easier to eliminate ACDE than straight up choosing B.