The Use of Life
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Modern urban readers seeking meaning in life and inner peace
- Readers interested in humanism, classical cultivation and the philosophy of living
- Individuals hoping to recover a sensitivity to nature and art amid busy daily routines
- Book lovers who enjoy reflective essays and seek spiritual dialogue
Not a good fit for
- Pragmatists expecting concrete action plans or success-strategy methods
- Readers drawn to plot-driven, fast-paced genre fiction
Reading tips
- Read slowly at tranquil times (such as early morning or before bed), one or two chapters at a time, leaving yourself room to reflect.
- Try putting one of the book's suggested "uses of life" into practice—watch a sunset, reread a classic or spend time with a painting.
- Take notes as you read, recording ideas that move you and comparing them with your own experience to form personal insights.
About the publisher
The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 汉译世界文学名著丛书出版说明
- 译者序
- 第一章 重要问题
- 第二章 论机智
- 第三章 论钱财
- 第四章 谈休闲养心
- 第五章 论健康
- 第六章 谈国民教育
- 第七章 谈自我教育
- 第八章 谈公共图书馆
- 第九章 论读书
- 第十章 谈爱国精神
- 第十一章 谈英国公民的责任和权利
- 第十二章 谈家庭生活与社交
- 第十三章 论勤奋
- 第十四章 论信仰
- 第十五章 论希望
- 第十六章 论博爱
- 第十七章 论品性
- 第十八章 谈安宁与幸福
- 第十九章 论宗教
FAQ
How does this book differ from typical "chicken soup" or motivational books?
How does John Lubbock's background shape this book?
What relevance does this book still have for today's readers?
Comments
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About the author
John Lubbock is an author whose biographical information has not yet been fully documented in Chinese publishing circles; currently available public materials are limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and full English name cannot be confirmed. One work by him is held in the collection, The Use of Life, which is classified under foreign literature and serves as the main entry point for understanding this author. Judging from the title and the category, The Use of Life is likely a collection of essays on the meaning of life and everyday experience, with writing that probably emphasizes observation and reflection, discussing in plain prose how people should spend their limited lives. Because translations are scarce and introductory materials are insufficient, Lubbock remains little known among Chinese readers, and his writing style and intellectual context still await further translation and research. For general readers, starting with The Use of Life is a relatively reliable way to approach this author.
Cao Minglun is a Chinese translator long engaged in introducing foreign literature, though public information about him is limited and details such as his dates, birthplace and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the thirteen works held in the collection, his translating interests center on classics of English and American literature, especially poetry and fiction. He has translated The Complete Poetry of Shakespeare, The Complete Poems of Frost and The Collected Works of Frost, showing a sustained grasp of the rhythm and feel of English verse; his fiction translations include Willa Cather's My Antonia, O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark, as well as the complete dark tales and complete short stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Spanning mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature and classical poetry, these translations show a range that covers both Gothic, gloomy narrative and delicate lyrical prose, offering Chinese readers a varied set of texts for understanding the tradition of English-language literature.
