"Nothing entertains us better than reading a book." Bing Xin expressed this (believe) in 1987. "Entertainment news has increased, which is fine, but I (firm) believe the most pleasant thing about life is to read books," she told Cao Zhengwen, editor of the Xinming Evening News.
Cao's interview with Bing Xin (take) place about two years after the book Amusing Ourselves to Death was published. It criticized televisions for (weaken) rational thinking that was typical of books.
To encourage more people to read, Cao launched "Joy of Reading" section in the Xirmin Evening News in 1986. During the 22 years it survived and thrived (繁荣), he interviewed quite a few cultural figures and invited them (write) for the newspaper. Cao later selected and edited the stories of their life into the book A Record of Interviews with Cultural Icons.
Thanks to Cao's effort, today's readers can have a rare glimpse into the (spirit) world of typical Chinese intellectuals, a world of simplicity, sacrifice and selflessness.
The book tells us not only how joyful they were in reading, but also how just they were difficult conditions. In other words, the book teaches us how to bring out the better part of (we) as well as how and what to read.
