High rents, falling book sales, the persistence back-handed compliment and the well-funded public libraries are reseons of deciline of general literacy. Many Singaporeans blames that price of book is expensive in recent years. However, a casual meal which sell out $25 to $30 per person is normal.
What we risk losing is a sense of curiostiy and imagination of the spirit.
In China, many major bookshop chains downsizes their store. Some bookstores gradually vanish from our retail landscape. Internet and E-commerce platforms clearly usually shoulders the blame. At the heart of this sorry state of downsizing bookshops stands a plain but uncomfortable truth: The information revolution has devalued books. Many Chinese no longer prize slow reading and critical thinking. In the area of information or knowledge consumption, taking time to understand nuance and complexion has given way to consumption of so-called rubbish hot takes on Douyin, Kuaishou or other short-video platform that value charisma, delivery and energy.
Book is one of the best channel to help us understanding of the world beyond our very short fences.
发表回复