A History of Breeding and Farming
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Summary
Editor's review
As an editor, I believe the book's core value lies in its positioning as a "historical narrative." It avoids the dryness of specialized historical research and, through vivid cases and clear threads, opens a window for readers onto another side of Chinese civilization. Readers can see that husbandry is not merely a technology for producing meat, eggs and milk but a microcosm of human interaction with nature, resource utilization and changes in social organization. The book's introduction of traditional wisdom (such as livestock appraisal techniques and ecological cyclic farming) and its review of the introduction and localization of modern techniques are both illuminating. For non-specialist readers, it is an excellent popular science work that broadens knowledge and cultivates taste; for enthusiasts or students in related fields, it provides a solid and interesting historical framework. Its narrative is steady and grounded, its materials detailed and well-supported, reflecting the authors' sound academic training and ability to popularize.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- General readers interested in the history of science and technology, agricultural history or the history of social life in ancient China
- Students in animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, aquaculture and related fields who wish to understand the industry's historical background
- Those engaged in modern agriculture, husbandry or the promotion of food culture
- Readers of popular social science who wish to broaden their knowledge of history and culture
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking the latest practical guides to husbandry techniques or cutting-edge industry trends
- Professional researchers expecting in-depth academic inquiry and extensive primary-source citations
Reading tips
- Read chapter by chapter to build a sense of chronology, or skip to categories of husbandry that interest you (such as livestock, poultry or aquaculture)
- Consider the broader context of Chinese history while reading to understand the relationship between husbandry development and population growth, technological progress and social demand
- The book touches on many ancient textual records and folk customs; treat them as an interesting window into the worldview of the ancients rather than something to memorize in detail
About the publisher
Founded in 1982, Modern Press is a Chinese publisher that serves general readers across a diverse range of subjects. Judging from its catalog, its publishing focuses on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, psychological research and application, popular science, and modern poetry, along with history, biography, and children's books. The Book of Songs, the illustrated vernacular edition of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, The Complete Poems of Dai Wangshu, and Buddhism in the Vegetable Roots reflect efforts to make traditional culture and poetry accessible; works by Carl Gustav Jung such as The Development of Personality and Understanding Your Psychological Type, together with titles from the Ivy International Education Alliance, show sustained attention to psychology and educational reading; and Stephen Hawking's works and the illustrated two-volume Brief History of Everything and A Brief History of Time indicate a commitment to popular science. Its authors include figures such as Qu Wanli, Xu Ke, Dai Wangshu, and Jung, and its publishing emphasizes retelling classics and accessible, illustrated presentation. Because public information is limited, this summary is based only on the titles in our catalog.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序言
- 驯养之路——古代畜牧
- 远古时期畜牧业的产生
- 先秦畜牧业发展新阶段
- 秦汉畜牧业的迅速发展
- 魏晋南北朝畜牧业成就
- 隋唐至明清期间的畜牧业
- 极其重视对马匹的驯养
- 积累了丰富的养牛技术
- 历史悠久的养羊技术
- 总结出科学的家猪饲养法
- 不断进化的各种驯养家禽
- 六畜兴旺——古代兽医
- 先秦时期的兽医活动
- 秦汉至宋元兽医的发展
- 明清时期兽医学成就
- 起源古老的相畜学说
- 捕鱼为业——古代渔业
- 年代久远的鱼类养殖业
- 逐渐进步的鱼类捕捞业
- 创造出的多种捕鱼方法
- 不断改进的鱼钩和鱼竿
- 编写了丰富的渔业文献
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About the author
Xiao Dongfa (1949–2016), whose ancestral home was Tianjin and who was born in Shenyang, was a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Peking University, and director of its Institute of Modern Publishing. An important scholar in editing and publishing studies, he focused on the history of Chinese books, publishing history, and yearbook studies. He edited the History of Chinese Editing and Publishing and Chinese Libraries of Book Collecting, and led the National Social Science Fund key project A General History of Chinese Publishing, laying a solid foundation for the organization and narration of Chinese publishing history. Beyond academic writing, he attended to Peking University's institutional history and humanistic traditions, writing works such as Character: From the Imperial University to Old Peking University, Exemplars: Former Residences and Anecdotes of Peking University Notables, and Scenes: Yanyuan Landscapes and Cultural Heritage, which recount campus memories and personal stories with warmth. His works also touch on the four treasures of the study, garden architecture, and academic writing standards. Some 491 of his titles are held in the library, spanning language and culture, biography, and architecture, and combining scholarly rigor with accessible readability.
Zhang Xuewen (born 1935), a native of Hanzhong, Shaanxi, is one of China's first National Masters of Chinese Medicine and a professor and chief physician at Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine. He is a renowned expert in internal medicine and emergency medicine in traditional Chinese medicine. Born into a family of TCM practitioners, he graduated from the Shaanxi School of Chinese Medicine Advanced Studies in 1959. His long-term research covers TCM emergency medicine, brain disorders, warm diseases, and blood-activating and stasis-resolving therapy; he pioneered the theory of "cranial cerebral water-stasis" and authored works including *Treatment of Blood Stasis Syndromes* and *Treatment of Difficult and Complicated Cases*. The library holds 10 of his works, spanning agriculture and forestry, biography, culture, and education, including *A History of Aquaculture*, *Ancient Cultivation and Ancient Horticulture*, *Sacrificial Rites and Celebrations*, and *Bill Gates*. These works range widely, combining surveys of ancient agriculture and folk culture with public-oriented biographies, showing that beyond specialized medical writings the author also attends to the popularization of traditional culture and the spread of knowledge.
