Mao Zedong's Reading Notes

Author: Wang Jionghua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Mao Zedong once said, "My greatest hobby in life is reading." "Meals can be skipped for a day, sleep can be skipped for a day, but reading cannot be skipped for a day." He was a man who loved books, never put them down, and took books as his companions throughout his life. Books accompanied him on his journeys, books accompanied him during sleep, and even books accompanied him in the restroom, right until the eve of his death when he was still seeking books. In his lifetime, Mao Zedong read countless books. Although his reading range and focus varied in different historical periods, reading Chinese historical and literary classics was always a lifelong interest of his. The modern enlightenment thinker Gong Zizhen once said, "To understand the great principles, one must first understand history." Reading historical and literary works was an important way for Mao Zedong to gain insight into the principles of governance and to discern right from wrong. Therefore, he not only possessed extensive Marxist theoretical knowledge but also profound knowledge of Chinese history, literature, and society. From the son of an ordinary farmer to becoming a historically revered figure in China and the world, one of the reasons for his success was his relentless pursuit of reading and learning. This book takes the tumultuous life of Mao Zedong as the warp and his rich history of reading as the weft, showcasing his magnificent reading life. It traces the great success of his life's career and his mistakes in his later years from the perspective of reading, and promotes the touching spirit of his reading, thinking, and pursuit of creativity.