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Bonfire of vanities consumes trash culture
By People's Daily |
August 15, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHICH books would you burn to keep yourself warm if you found shelter in a library to escape freezing cold?
If you follow author Ma Boyong's advice, you would definitely burn the books on success, on health, on inspiration and on celebrities. Ma's short essay, titled "A Guide To Books To Be Burned," has drawn widespread attention and inspired public contempt for those four categories of books, which are too many in number and too vulgar in taste.
Whether these books should be burned into historical oblivion, one thing is clear: these books define our times. How can books on success not be popular now that everyone is taught to succeed at any cost? How can books on inspiration not be popular now that many people are lost in a society in short of faith? How can books on health not be popular now that seeing a doctor is so expensive? And how can books on celebrity not be popular now that stars entertain us with endless scandals and advertisements?
Even if we burn all these books, our society's demand for success, health, inspiration and celebrity is here to stay.
If you follow author Ma Boyong's advice, you would definitely burn the books on success, on health, on inspiration and on celebrities. Ma's short essay, titled "A Guide To Books To Be Burned," has drawn widespread attention and inspired public contempt for those four categories of books, which are too many in number and too vulgar in taste.
Whether these books should be burned into historical oblivion, one thing is clear: these books define our times. How can books on success not be popular now that everyone is taught to succeed at any cost? How can books on inspiration not be popular now that many people are lost in a society in short of faith? How can books on health not be popular now that seeing a doctor is so expensive? And how can books on celebrity not be popular now that stars entertain us with endless scandals and advertisements?
Even if we burn all these books, our society's demand for success, health, inspiration and celebrity is here to stay.
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