The Book of Songs

1. Read through the table of contents first and start with the pieces that interest you most; there is no need to plow through in order.
2. Before reading each poem, read it aloud once, then consult the annotations for overall meaning, preserving your direct sense of rhythm and language.
3. Where annotations simplify scholars' interpretations, accept them first and hold questions for later verification in detailed annotated editions.
4. After finishing, try retelling each poem's situation in your own words to test whether you truly understood it rather than merely memorizing notes.

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.