Tibet: Fast & Furious

tibet： fast & furious

Compiled by Nie Xiaoyang

The Commercial Press， September 2012

The concept of this book is to reveal the true Tibet using Weibo （Chinese version of Twitter） style. The book compiles more than 500 outstanding Weibo posts in both Chinese and English， as well as more than 150 poignant photographs. It includes many individual observations about Tibet including objective and concise opinions， views， quotes， interviews， fascinating stories and related photos. Contributors have either been engaged in Tibetan studies or lived there for a long time. The book attempts to offer a true picture of Tibet with brevity from those who know the land best， and to reveal daily life and the inner world of Tibetans.

Editor Nie Xiaoyang is a well-known Chinese cultural geographer and veteran journalist who once served as a war correspondent for Xinhua News Agency. His attraction to the snowy highlands was triggered by a chance， but he ended up traveling across Tibet， Qinghai and Inner Mongolia to trace the life of the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso， which resulted in the book Cultivating Along with the Sixth Dalai Lama， published in 2011. Nie hopes Tibet： Fast & Furious can give readers a closer look at Tibet. “I hope the book illuminates the true Tibet and true Tibetans，” Nie adds. “That is where the book’s value lies.”

Oppressed Aesthetics： Cultural Criticism of Visual Presentation

by Feng Yuan

China Renmin University Press， March 2013

The book is a compilation of renowned cultural critic Feng Yuan’s work over recent years， covering a wide range of topics from architectural production and image analysis to avant-garde art. In the book， the author explores meaning， significance and structure behind common landscapes， sights and architectural designs. His keen academic insight， singular analysis， sharp criticism and astute logic leave deep impressions on readers. A professor at the School of Communication and Design of Sun Yat-sen University， Feng has engaged in studies of architectural history， urbanology and visual culture for years， culminating in a broad and open vision of architecture， design and contemporary art. Many of his designs have been well-received， including traffic signs and other public signage， but his landscapes and public art are best known.

Painting Reading Notes： Mad and Sad Beauty

by Ding Jianyuan

China Renmin University Press， March 2013

Through this collection of essays on aesthetics， philosophy and life experience， Ding Jianyuan interprets the work and experience of a dozen of Chinese and foreign painters. Starting with static paintings before outlining reflections and philosophies behind them， Ding eloquently reveals a large and colorful hidden world of coldness， melancholy， tranquility， and even crazy beauty. The book reflects the author’s singular understanding of love and life. For instance， from the figure depicted in Picasso’s Reclin- ing Nude， the author interprets the artist’s absurdity and relates it to the culture of consumption. Having closely observed Giovanni Segantini’s Two Mothers， the author illustrates his understanding of pure motherly love.

Ding Jianyuan， 57， is the editor-in-chief of Shandong Friendship Publishing House. He writes essays in his spare time， and has published five collections of his prose. Some of his work appears in China’s middle school textbooks. His art criticism and essays are highly influential in China.

Edward Yang

by John Anderson

Translated by Hou Yiyang Fudan University Press， March 2013

From short film Desires/ Expectation to epic Yi Yi， John Anderson offers a comprehensive overview of the work of filmmaker Edward Yang （1947–2007）. Yang’s films focus on relationships between people and society on Taiwan Island， revealing the complexity of life in a land of such diverse culture. Anderson identifies key narrative strategies， formal devices， moral visions， and sociopolitical concerns depicted in Yang’s movies. The author pinpoints the characteristics that make these films so distinctive through exploring specific qualities of Yang’s style and vision. John Anderson is a regular film critic for Variety， Newsday， Washington Post and America magazine. He chairs the New York Film Critics Circle and is a member of the U.S. National Society of Film Critics.

Life and Death Are Fated； Riches and Honor Lie with Heaven— Natural Philosophy of the Book of Changes

by Li Ling

Shenghuo-Dushu-Xinzhi Joint Publishing Company， January 2013

The Book of Changes， one of China’s most revered classics， is also one of the most difficult works to comprehend. In Life and Death Are Fated； Riches and Honor Lie with Heaven， author Li Ling attempts to lay out the classic’s content in a new way and explain it in concise and modern language based on a newly excavated textual version. Li’s book paints a new singular view of the natural philosophy of the classic， including ideas about the opposing forces of Yin and Yang and the Wu Xing （Five Elements） Circles.

Li is a professor at Peking University specializing in archeology， ancient writing and

ancient documents. He has studied China’s pre-Qin period （before 221B.C.） classics since the 1980s. The Book of Changes is the fourth Chinese classic he has interpreted following Analects of Confucius， Lao Tzu and Sun Tzu.

With his acclaimed literary style， Li has a knack for explaining obscure concepts of ancient works in simple， clear and modern Chinese. “My writings are said to be very concise，” he explains in the book. “This is the outcome of revisions. The Book of Changes has very short sentences which makes its ideas vaguely obscure while leaving room for the imagination. I like the obscurity of the ancient style of writing.”