On the Readers Club by Colleagues of the Cultural
Book Society (November 1920)


Recently a number of people have advocated a “Readers Club.” This strikes us as
an excellent idea. It has three advantages: (1) When one person buys a book, he pays
one yuan just to read a one yuan book. If five or even ten people organize a readers
club to buy books, every member can read 10 yuan worth of books for one yuan. For
a very small financial outlay, the return in learning is great. (2) In the Chinese “closed-door research method,” each individual hides behind his closed doors to study, never
exchanging opinions, never criticizing others, never correcting his own work. This is
really a very bad habit. It would be better to invite some compatible friends to set up a
small readers club and study together. For instance, after finishing this book you, dear
283 Cai Hesen.
reader, are bound to have many comments, or questions, or new ideas, that you would
like to expound or discuss. This little readers club would provide you an opportunity to
speak out and debate. (3) Everyone wants to read the newspapers. This is a good way to
become a “scholar who knows everything in the world without leaving his doorway.”284
There are many students today who do not read the newspapers because the schools
cannot afford to buy many newspapers, and there are too few copies of the ones they do
get. It would be wonderful if each class could set up its own readers club. If every person
put in just a few dimes per month, the sum total would be quite significant. In addition
to purchasing books, they could subscribe to at least one newspaper, maybe several.
And so, they could instantly become all-knowing “scholars” without leaving their rooms.
Wouldn’t that be excellent? If you, sir, think these advantages are worth considering,
why don’t you organize a “readers club” yourself? If you want newly published books,
papers, or magazines on the new thought, our Book Society has them all. We are
looking forward to your orders.