Ancient Trades
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
The book's value lies in its distinctive perspective: it treats "trades" as slices through which to observe the progress of civilization. Readers learn not only the rise and fall of specific occupations—knife sharpeners, night watchmen, armed escorts—but also, through these trades, how technological innovation, shifts in social structure and urbanization profoundly reshaped ordinary people's livelihoods and destinies. The detailed descriptions of tools, trade rules and craft transmission are full of human warmth, so that history is no longer a cold abstraction.
As an editor, I believe the book's strength lies in balancing knowledge with readability. It avoids dry academic exposition and sensational curiosity-seeking alike, guiding readers in plain, restrained prose through a quiet and thought-provoking historical stroll. In an age when forms of work change at breakneck speed, reading this book helps us better understand the nature and meaning of "work" and leaves a dignified written record of crafts that carry collective memory.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers with a strong interest in Chinese social history and folk culture
- People engaged in research on or protection of intangible cultural heritage
- Readers who like to understand macro history through specific occupations
- Content creators seeking writing material and details of traditional life
Not a good fit for
- Readers looking for quick entertainment or strong narrative conflict
- Professionals seeking in-depth technical analysis of trades or purely economic history
Reading tips
- Read alongside local gazetteers or family oral histories to connect the trades in the book with local history
- There is no need to read cover to cover; pick chapters by interest, such as 'Street Sounds' or 'The Artisan's Soul'
- While reading, note the social forces behind the disappearance of trades and reflect on the dialectic between technology and tradition
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
- 生存之本——农牧渔行业
- 神农氏教民种植五谷
- 后稷开创我国农耕业
- 伏羲开启畜牧业先河
- 伏羲开创古渔业文明
- 巧夺天工——手工技术业
- 各具特色的木瓦石匠
- 敲敲打打金银铜铁业
- 历史久远的陶瓷行业
- 衣被天下的纺织行业
- 百年树人——文化教育业
- 尊为万世师表的孔子
- 培养人才的古代官学
- 教学多元的古代私学
- 传道济民的古代书院
- 医德医术——中医中药业
- 古代行医的职业徽标
- 古代行医的广告方式
- 医药行业必读的著作
- 医药行里的历史典故
- 医药行业崇拜的名医
- 用物之美——工艺美术业
- 丰富多彩的绘画工艺
- 巧借天成的根雕工艺
- 民众喜爱的泥塑工艺
- 妙不可言的玉器工艺
- 色泽华丽的漆器工艺
- 花样迭出的编结工艺
- 满足需求——服务性行业
- 打造色香味形的烹饪
- 多功能活动场所茶馆
- 给人带来愉悦的戏班
FAQ
Is this book an academic work or a popular read?
How wide a range of trades does the book cover?
Are there abundant illustrations or material objects in the book?
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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.
Pu Yongping is an author about whom limited public information is available. Fourteen of his works are currently held in the collection. Judging from their subjects, his writing spans popular science, culture, industrial technology, biography, and inspirational growth. Representative titles include Are You Outside the Universe?, Old Trades, Printing and Textile Industry, Disney, Can You See Beneath the Waves?, and How Many More Heavens Beyond?. These titles suggest that the author attends both to natural and scientific topics such as the universe and the ocean, and to traditional trades, industrial technology, and biography, attempting to introduce knowledge in various fields to general readers in an accessible way. Because reliable biographical information is lacking, his nationality, education, and specific experiences cannot be confirmed; only at the level of his works can it be seen that his writing addresses a broad readership and covers diverse subjects with a strong orientation toward popularizing knowledge.
