The outbreak of new crown pneumonia has been tested at all levels of society. In the fight against the epidemic, the "cultural epidemic resistance" was warm and firm. In addition to literary books that provide spiritual strength, knowledge books have received attention again.

Many publishing houses quickly published books on epidemic resistance and psychological counseling. Data show that in the first two months of 2020, books on the topic of "outbreak prevention and control" will account for half of all new knowledge books. These books calm people's fear and anxiety about the unknown, and arouse people's enthusiasm for medical knowledge and other new knowledge books.

New knowledge books expand cognitive boundaries

In the process of human society's development, any new situation or new problem is coming. In the absence of lessons learned, efficient response and proper handling depend on the ability of thinking to promote the transformation of knowledge into practical solutions to problems. Therefore, high-quality knowledge, experience reserves, and scientific thinking methods are particularly important. Human exploration of new knowledge runs through the development of society.

Looking at the stars, watching the mountains and the sea, people's reading needs will not always stay at the level of information and common sense. The nature of publishing also requires that more intellectual, ideological and humanistic content based on accurate facts be deposited as valuable Experience guides us practically and spiritually—as far as the "Water Sutra" more than 1400 years ago, it is difficult to imagine how the Taoist Yuan left the ancient China with the strength of "drinking rivers and judging the sea". The most systematic and comprehensive geographic work; more than 400 years ago, the Compendium of Materia Medica became the "Masterpiece of Compendium of Materia Medica", affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world; more than 300 years ago, the world's first comprehensive work on agricultural and handicraft production, "In the exploration of production technology, it conveys the harmonious thought of man and nature. As late as 1944, "What is Life" represented Schrödinger's shift from physics to the observation of life and soul; in 1962, "The Silent Spring" set the "Milestone of the World Environmental Protection Movement" on the earth; in 1976, " From the evolution of selfish genes to culture, the world view of human resistance to selfish factors has been refreshed. In the 1980s, the "Towards the Future" series, while translating western science, brought together the best Chinese intellectuals on the forefront of social sciences and humanities. In 1992, the "First Push" series of books was published, which promoted reading science from a purely personal hobby to a public mission. In 2006, a new edition of the "New Knowledge Library" of Life, Reading, and Xinzhi Sanlian Bookstore was published, until Today is the pioneer and model of new knowledge books. In 2012, "Discovery Journey" opened the world of Chinese natural history with 10 great historical expeditions in history.

The term "new knowledge" is not new, but it is roughly from this point that it is summarized as a book category.

Bring multiple reading experiences

According to the statistics of the open book data, in the five years from 2015 to 2019, among the top 100 books sold nationwide each year, the proportion of new knowledge books increased by 7%.

"New knowledge" means "new knowledge", which is similar to popular science, but it does not stop there. The "new knowledge" books do not follow the classification principles of the Chinese library taxonomy, and there is no strict disciplinary definition. In fact, it focuses more on new concepts, new perspectives, and new methods of cognitive things, which are rooted in some Known but unthought-out areas, we have seen "new guns, germs and steel", "how to read a book", "deliberate practice" and other new books with history, social science, psychology and even literary interest. Generally speaking, new knowledge books focus on the motivation for exploration and discovery, the approach to insight and improvement, and the interactive relationship between the growth of human life and the cognitive world, thereby presenting a rational and speculative picture of humanistic care. When reading books such as "A Brief History of the Future" and "Affection of Plants and Trees", while receiving new knowledge and new ideas, we often read historical, economic, and literary elements and enjoy multiple reading experiences. Every publication of this type of classic book will cause people to pay attention to life, science, environment, society and museums.

At present, "new knowledge" has become a fixed classification of many book lists, such as Douban's 2019 annual reading list "Science · New Knowledge", Sina Haoshu insisted for many years on the "Art of Life New Knowledge Good Books" list, many publishers The selection of good books also set up a "new knowledge" category.

The "New Knowledge Library" in Life, Reading, and New Knowledge Sanlian Bookstore is a classic in the minds of readers. It is based on "emerging topics, legendary stories, and specialized history of general interest." Whether it is the old version of the new knowledge library from 1986 to 1998, It was also the "Science and Humanities Series" launched between 1996 and 2004, which have consolidated the content and readers base for the publication of the new edition of the New Knowledge Library in 2006. The series balanced the proportion of humanities and natural sciences, and adjusted the narrative style in time with the development of the times. In 2018, there were 100 kinds. "How is music possible? Books like "are both new knowledge and new confidantes."

New knowledge books are also publishing highlights other than the commercial press reference books and academic books, which are inseparable from the century-old tradition of business publications.

The sages, represented by Du Yaquan, the founder of modern nature education and director of the Department of Physics and Chemistry of the Commercial Press, adhered to the ambition of "exposing the science of agricultural, agricultural, and agricultural sciences and technology", and achieved the "natural science" "Small series" is a comprehensive publication of typical museum textbooks, reference books, academic classics, popular books, atlas manuals, and magazines.

Yu Dianli, general manager of the Commercial Press, said: "Different disciplines have different understandings of the world and different goals. Different disciplines have been formed. All disciplines are similar because they study the same objective world. Each discipline has its own unique value Being valued, respected, and loved, but inevitably has its own limitations. New knowledge books well embody the characteristics of each discipline's advantages and perfect each other. "

Nowadays, natural libraries, natural observations, fenfen museums, exploration and new knowledge, scientific history translation series, new perspectives of science, zodiac calendar and other key product lines that jointly constitute business new knowledge books, have won the National Science and Technology Progress Award, China Good Books , Wenjin Book Award, China Natural Good Book Award and many other Chinese and foreign book awards. Classics of scientific history such as "The Secret of Alchemy" and "Mechanization of the World Vision" have enriched the academic publishing categories. . The China Museum of Natural History Review, published by the Commercial Press, has also been officially released. Most of the editors of these books and journals have a background in biology, science and technology philosophy, geography, mathematics, chemistry, etc., and they are all natural lovers.

It is either practical or classic, and the new knowledge of various publishing houses is full of colorful publications: "Special Collection of 20th Century Popular Science Classics" of Science Press, "Cancer · Truth", "Shan Hai Jing" by Tsinghua University Press, " "Turing New Knowledge" series, "History Picture Notes" of CITIC Publishing House and Lorenz Popular Science Series, "Unread · Explorer" series of Beijing United Publishing Company, "Life Science" book series of Zhejiang People's Publishing House, etc. , Are good books that readers love, regulars on the best-selling list.

The exploration spirit represented by "new knowledge" runs through the course of human beings' understanding of the world from ancient times to the transformation of the world, and it illuminates the lost path of human beings, and also embellishes every ordinary day. Fragmentation of reading often overloads information, and reading of new knowledge books pulls people's cognition and acquisition process back to a normal rate.

At the same time, we also expect that such books can break the trend of homogeneity of topic selection and accelerate the early arrival of local new knowledge and originality with more moving works.

Human beings need the nourishment of "new knowledge". It always reminds us to look at the world and itself with a positive attitude and a new angle, to pass the fresh life force to the world, to stimulate the curiosity of each child's exploration, and to activate every adult. Passion for life. The so-called "afraid of infinite truth, one inch and one inch of joy" may be the ultimate meaning of reading new knowledge books.

Wei Wei