‘Confucius Craze’ Sweeps China
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 05.10.07 | 9:55 AM ET
Just how hot is the ancient philosopher in China at the moment? A new self-help book based on the teachings of Confucius is topping the nation’s best-seller list. With its time-worn wisdom, “Notes on Reading the Analects” by Beijing professor Yu Dan appeals to Chinese citizens anxious about by the economic and social changes that have swept the nation in recent years, a Reuters report suggests. But some critics in China are dismissing the book as Confucius-light.
“Detractors argue that Yu offers little more than a mix of distorted ancient teachings and motivational stories tailored to tell readers how to handle stress and relationships,” according to Reuters. “They say Yu takes advantage of the public’s ignorance of classic literature and her success is a symptom of, rather than a prescription to the ailments of crazy commercialism and declining ethics characteristic of China nowadays.”
Could the book be China’s answer to The Secret?
Photo by Marc van der Chijs via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
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Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Anabel 05.10.07 | 3:31 PM ET
You know, that’s very interesting, I’d like to read it…