The dilemma of giving books

every time I receive a book from someone else, no matter how good or bad it is, my heart is always happy. After all, giving books is an elegant thing for cultural talents. Not long ago, I received several books from old comrades. After playing with them, I couldn't help thinking of some topics about giving books, so I wrote a few words.

Since ancient times, people in China have always regarded books as noble, and reading has also become noble. They even think that "everything is inferior, only reading is high". This sentence was criticized in the past as discriminating against working people and working people. I don't think the author intended it that way. Although you must study to be an official, you don't have to study to be an official. To say that reading is high does not necessarily mean being an official, but mainly being high in culture and personality. In ancient times, when the educational level was generally low and the publishing industry was underdeveloped, books were particularly rare and precious. Traditionally, books are regarded as the embodiment of knowledge and morality, with the same status as teachers, and are endowed with the mission of educating sages. Compared with all other things, this spiritual food is naturally a noble thing. Nobleness comes from the nobility of spirit, knowledge and morality. Because books are noble, reading becomes lofty and easy to understand.

The ancients were very particular about this noble matter. First, they had to correct their mentality, sit still, and even wash their hands and burn incense, treating books as gods. This kind of worship of books surprised future generations. It is an extraordinary friendship to be able to give this expensive sacred thing to others. It seems that there are not many legends of ancient literati giving books, but many cultural figures have been happy to give books since modern times. Mr. Lu Xun gave countless books and a large number of people in his life, which became a story for a while.

With the development of modern printing industry, in modern secular society, giving books is no longer so noble and elegant. Therefore, it can be seen on many occasions that giving books has become one of many ways of giving gifts, and expensive gift books have emerged. Although books have been alienated into cosmetic things in these places, they have always maintained a fresh and refined atmosphere among book lovers. I thought of Confucius and said, "You can talk with words without talking with them, and lose people;" You can't talk to it with words, and you will lose your words. " According to this standard, it is a "lost book" to give him a book instead of a book. I think I've lost my book, too. When the book comes out, what happens to it can only be resigned to fate.

I also thought that giving books should not be casual and careless, not because of the nobility of books, but mainly based on the following two views.

first, non-book lovers should not give books. This is generally regarded as a headline to pay attention to. Both the giver and the recipient should love books. It's easy to understand that book givers love books, because we really can't imagine that people who don't love books pretend to be gentle and make people laugh. Recipients must also love books, otherwise books will be given away for nothing, put on the shelf, and even their whereabouts are unknown.

Second, people who are not literate should not give books. After all, the given book is intended for people to read, so it is necessary to consider whether the knowledge, identity and interests of the donee match the given book. This requires a considerable understanding of books. To understand books, it is best to read them yourself. For the object of giving a book, the difficulty of the book content is too high or too low, which is not suitable. In addition, giving books is also a gift after all. There are many kinds of books, so you should choose what you like, otherwise it will be casting pearls before swine. All this needs to be considered by the literate themselves.

but I remembered a book and slowly changed my point of view. Up to now, I have treasured the Historical Records given to me by my middle school classmates at home. Although the version is not very good, I like it very much. I have been writing and drawing for more than ten years. This should be the first book I received as a gift. Whenever I open this book and see my old notes, I feel a strange feeling, as if I were still the teenager who stayed up all night reading. It is this book, as my introductory reading, that set foot on the ladder of reading history books. It should be said that I am lucky. Maybe the students who gave books just gave it to me as a literary masterpiece for recreation, but I found another treasure house with it.

Giving books is so peculiar, as if giving people a window through which they may see a new world. Even if this window has never been opened, maybe one day a naughty child passes by and can't help but be curious and gently open it. Culture, knowledge, it is inadvertently secretly flowing.

The ancients gave books when they met confidants, and the elders also gave books when they had ardent expectations for the younger generation and teachers and students. "A gentleman gives people words, and Shu Ren gives people money." As the material carrier of "words", books are a big collection of words, which are naturally good gifts for people, more precious, more elegant and more refined than giving people money.

even those "gift books", giving books is the first elegant thing. Sending flowers is not beautiful for a while, sending money is too tacky, and it is suspected of bribery. Sending tea and wine is only a short-lived consumer product. Only sending books can give people unlimited and long-term spiritual comfort, which lasts for decades and lasts for a long time. Many years later, I saw the inscription on the book given by my old friend. If this person is a teacher elder or even a dead friend, only I can taste it carefully.

On the one hand, I don't want to give books casually, but on the other hand, I want to share good books as a witness of friendship. This seems to be the dilemma of giving books. But for the specific individuals who give books, it seems that there is no contradiction. Books are given and not given.

I still hope that there will be an upsurge of giving books in society, even if it is arty. After all, it can drive more people to read and cherish books, which is also progress.

(217.8 Huarong)