New Knowledge Library

生活·读书·新知三联书店SDX Joint Publishing Company

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Series: New Knowledge Library

Summary

The New Knowledge Library is a well-known series launched by SDX Joint Publishing Company (Joint Publishing) in 1986. It began as a by-product of the Modern Western Academic Library, created to accommodate shorter, more introductory translated works; between 1986 and 1998, 83 titles were published, and the series was influential in the wave of translating Western thought in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2006, to mark the 20th anniversary of Joint Publishing's restoration as an independent entity, a new edition of the New Knowledge Library was relaunched under the editorship of Xu Guoqiang. Its editorial aim was summarized as "emerging topics, legendary stories, and specialized histories of broad interest." While continuing to champion the scientific spirit and to reflect critically on scientific development, it placed greater emphasis on new knowledge, obscure knowledge, and interdisciplinary synthesis, stressing readability, appeal, and a forward-looking perspective. The new edition later split into two sub-series: Original New Knowledge, with numbers beginning with B, and Illustrated New Knowledge, with numbers beginning with C, and it adopted a unified cover design established by the designer Lu Zhichang. In 2018 the series passed one hundred titles; by 2022 it reached 150 titles and began to be issued in boxed sets. From 2023 a redesign was launched, introducing New Knowledge Library Selections, which reissue classics in hardcover 32mo format with fully revised translations. Common titles include The Lucifer Effect, Lying, Evidence, The Spice Legend, The Cave Cases, Fatal Elements, and The Coming Plague. It should be noted that the New Knowledge Library is an open-ended, continually expanding series rather than a single work; the various "collections" and "e-book bundles" circulating on the market are mostly unofficial publications, and purchases and use should be based on Joint Publishing's genuine individual volumes.

Editor's review

如果你既想读到扎实的知识，又不想被学术腔劝退，三联的「新知文库」几乎是中文世界里最省心的选择之一。它选书的逻辑不是「只推荐你关心的」，而是「你也许应该了解一下你不知道的」——从香料的全球史、颜色的化学与权力，到斯坦福监狱实验背后的人性、毒药元素在谋杀案中的角色，每本书都围绕一个具体切口，把历史、科学与社会观察编织在一起。这套丛书的另一重价值在于「成体系」：持续编号、书末附书目，读者可以按兴趣一本一本追下去，也可以当作通识书架慢慢铺开。装帧上由陆智昌奠定统一风格，整齐而不呆板。需要提醒的是，这是一套开放型大丛书，而非一册可通读的书；买之前请先确认具体品种，而非笼统的「全集」。

Who it's for

A good fit for

喜欢跨学科冷知识、愿意被「意外收获」带着走的通识读者
想为家庭或班级书架配置一套可长期按需选读的科普人文丛书
对科学史、社会心理学、饮食与博物史等具体切口有好奇心的读者
需要大量非虚构素材、习惯按主题检索阅读的内容工作者

Not a good fit for

希望一次读完一本完整故事、不愿在丛书中挑选的读者
只接受严格学术专著体例、反感叙事化写法的专业研究者

Reading tips

先按兴趣选主题（如心理、医学、饮食、考古），从单本入手，不必追求按编号顺序通读。
每读完一本，翻到书末的书目清单，挑下一本相关主题，形成自己的知识路线。
遇到涉及实验或数据的章节，注意作者的时代背景与版本差异，2023年后的「精选」版多有修订。
请通过正规渠道购买单行本或官方套装，对网盘流传的「全集打包」保持警惕。

About the publisher

SDX Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1932

SDX Joint Publishing Company is a publisher known for its humanities and social science titles, covering classics, culture, history, social fiction and politics. Its catalogue of 826 books includes Chinese and foreign literary classics such as The Scholars, Camel Xiangzi and Selected Short Stories of Chekhov, scholarly works such as Studies of Chinese Cave Temples, A Study of the Tuoba History (Revised Edition) and The Nine-Rank System: A Prehistory of the Imperial Examination, and translations such as Red Star Over China and Notes from the House of the Dead. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers such as Wu Jingzi, Lao She, Su Bai and Chekhov, as well as scholars and translators such as Chen Xiaoming, Wang Benhua, Guo Changbao and Zhu Xiansheng. Its publishing character lies in balancing the popularisation of classics with academic depth, with attention to textual quality and the transmission of knowledge.

FAQ

「新知文库」是一本书还是一套丛书？

是一套持续出版的开放型丛书，由三联书店自1986年创办、2006年重启新版，迄今已有百余种，每种是独立著作，并非一册可通读的书。

新版和老版新知文库有什么区别？

老版（1986—1998）共83种，侧重人文社科经典译介；2006年重启的新版拓展到自然科学与社会科学前沿，强调跨学科、趣味性与前瞻性，并分出品「原创新知」和「彩图新知」子系列。

市面上流传的「4000册电子书合集」是正版吗？

不是。新知文库官方品种数量远少于这个数字，成套电子书打包多为非授权传播，且内容与版本难以核对，建议购买三联书店正版单行本或官方套装。

丛书有统一编号吗，需要按顺序读吗？

有持续编号，但每本主题独立，不必按编号顺序读；编号主要便于检索与收藏，读者可按自己的兴趣领域跳读。

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About the author

生活·读书·新知三联书店 Author

SDX Joint Publishing Company is a culturally influential publishing institution in China, whose name derives from the merger of three historical publishing units: Life Bookstore, Reading Publishing House, and New Knowledge Bookstore. As a publisher, SDX Joint Publishing Company has long focused on the humanities and social sciences, dedicating itself to the editing and dissemination of intellectual and cultural books, and enjoys a solid reputation among the intellectual community and readers. The work in the collection, MEMO2017: Observations and Attitudes of Sanlian Life Weekly, reflects its affiliated magazine's review and commentary on the year's social and cultural issues, with a style that combines observation and thought. Public information is limited, so its specific publishing history and institutional evolution are not elaborated here; only from its publishing direction and representative works can it be seen that SDX Joint Publishing Company maintains a sustained influence in the planning and promotion of social science books.