List of Warnings

AnonymousJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaApr 2020

1.7

Word count: 2.5K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Those in government do more good by removing one abuse than by promoting one benefit; if the abuses of food and drink can be removed, half the task is done. Hence this work, "A List of Warnings."

Editor's review

"A List of Warnings" is not long, yet it places the matter of food and drink within a framework of governance and self-cultivation. The opening line, "Those in government do more good by removing one abuse than by promoting one benefit," sets the abuses of food and drink alongside the abuses of public affairs, reminding the reader that appetites of the palate seem trifling but, accumulated, can sway manners and governance. The text takes "warning" as its rubric; its emphasis lies not in cataloguing delicacies but in pointing out the deviations in eating and drinking that should be guarded against, and it reads with an aphoristic restraint. It suits slow reading in quiet hours; with each entry one may pause and ask: does this speak of food and drink, or of human affairs through the medium of food and drink? The language is concise, carrying the flavor of traditional notes and didactic writing; readers familiar with ancient dietary literature will more easily appreciate its measure, while first-time readers need not seek completeness—grasping the two words "removing abuses" is enough to begin. As a collated reprint of the Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company edition, it is better savored as a short chapter of traditional life wisdom than treated as a systematic treatise on diet.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in traditional dietary ideas and maxims of living
Readers of literature and history who enjoy short notes and slow, careful reading
Readers of traditional culture concerned with the relation between governance and self-cultivation
Readers who wish to understand ancient precepts on restraint through the lens of food and drink

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic dietary theory or practical cooking guides
Readers who prefer long narratives or plot-driven reading

Reading tips

Begin with the opening line, "Those in government do more good...", to grasp the book's intent of using food and drink to speak of larger matters.
Read only one or two entries at a time; after each, restate in your own words "what is being warned against," then relate it to your daily eating.
Read alongside the "warnings" sections of dietary works such as Recipes from the Garden of Sui, to appreciate differences in approach.
After reading, note down one practice of restraint in eating you are willing to try; there is no need for many.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
序
戒外加油
戒同锅熟
戒耳餐
戒目食
戒穿凿
戒停顿
戒暴殄
戒纵酒
戒火锅
戒强让
戒走油
戒落套
戒混浊
戒苟且

FAQ

Is "A List of Warnings" a book about cooking methods?

No. It does not focus on recipes or cooking steps; rather, from the perspective of "removing abuses," it discusses the deviations in eating and drinking that should be avoided, and it has a didactic and reflective character. Readers wanting to learn to cook may find it too conceptual; those wanting to understand the ancient attitude of restraint toward food will find it well suited.

Can it be read without a foundation in classical Chinese?

Yes, but it requires some patience. The original is concise; it is best to first grasp the word "warning" and the opening theme of "removing abuses," without straining over every character. When encountering unfamiliar expressions, infer the general meaning from context, or consult an annotated edition—read through first, then return for close study.

Is this book suitable for reading in one sitting?

Not really. It is more like short aphoristic chapters; its density lies not in plot but in measure, and reading it all at once may leave only a vague impression. A steadier approach is to read in installments, a little at a time, pausing to reflect afterward and compare "what is warned against" with your own eating habits; the gain will be more concrete.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.