 Hush, Let Me Sing Praises of the 1980s By Zhang Lixian Of all the books dealing with nostalgia for the 1980s, Zhang Lixian’s is the most personal and most fun to read. The book started out as a series of postings on a BBS, in which he recalled his college days in Beijing. A few years ago, the writings were published under the title “Fragments of Memory.” The new edition is expanded. Each “fragment” details one aspect of a colorful life in a changing era: campus life, movies, reading, football, brawls, computers, dating and even pornography. Even though Chinese schools do not have fraternities or frat parties and rituals, and even though the 1980s was not exactly an era of abundance, you’d be amazed at how much people like Zhang made the best of it. You will appreciate his sense of humor resonating with the Internet-influenced younger generation. These Years in Our Taiwan By Liao Xinzhong After former leader Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975, even the public sensed something different in Taiwan’s political arena. His son Chiang Ching-kuo started a series reforms in the late 1970s which brought about an economic boom. Following the Chiangs, Li Deng-hui, Chen Shui-bian and Ma Ying-jeou successively took helm on the island. The changes in politics and the economy involved everyone in Taiwan and the drastic changes over the past 30 years left good and bad memories for ordinary families. Born in 1977, author Liao Xinzhong crafted his own personal experience of growing up into a bigger story of Taiwan’s social changes. This book was a non-fiction bestseller on the mainland in December 2009. Time and Place By Ai Weiwei This is a collection of Ai Weiwei’s essays published on his blog between 2005 and 2008. The essays discuss art, architechture and photography. Some are interviews with other artists and summaries of exhibitions he curated. Born in 1957 to Chinese poet Ai Qing, the author is an influential artist, curator, architectural designer, social commentator and activist. (Debra Li) | 