Affirm yourself

Author: Liu Yong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: What is the goal of life? Is it to get rich overnight and obtain everything one desires? Or is it to proceed step by step, becoming a small screw in the machinery of society? Is reading for the pursuit of knowledge? For academic advancement? For career promotion? Or the ultimate purpose—getting rich? And what comes next once one truly becomes wealthy? Indeed, many parents have conflicts between pursuing their own ideals and setting ideals for their children. Perhaps this is why my previous two books, "Beyond Yourself" and "Creating Yourself," were bestsellers. They offered solutions to this conflicting phenomenon—a non-force-feeding, non-dogmatic, and non-moralistic approach. Education must be practical, and the moral compass must also be practical. We can set the bar extremely high, but we must always find a path from the lower ground to reach that lofty goal. Otherwise, education becomes disconnected from life. The enthusiastic response to my previous two books, combined with my observations of Taiwanese society, has given me higher expectations for this book and a sense of mission. To say the least, spending more than half a year in Taiwan over the past year has allowed me to both step back and reflect on American education while gaining new insights into domestic issues. This book, "Affirm Yourself," is more than just a letter to my children—it is a book written for young friends at home and abroad.