##A few notes from the book business The La Habra Borders is doing RPL's (Required Pull Lists?) this week, where we take lists of books around to the sections, pull those books off the shelf and ship them back to the warehouse, where they likely become remainders and get sold for 6-10 dollars on the bargain-book tables. I am in charge of the science and computer sections, so I started the computer RPL today. Guess what video game got pulled? America's Army. Reason cited? POOR SALES. Haha; take that, Mr Rumsfeld! Over the past few months, we've had trouble with theft in the multimedia section (what music store doesn't), so we've moved the rap CD's —the prime target— back to the "cage", from which they are available only upon request. It makes me wonder if we couldn't do the same thing with the Sex and Erotica books. Only upon request. I say this because I've personally fielded two complainst over the last weekend about the Playboy and Penthouse magazines on display at the registers, and the Love and Intimacy display by customer service. My own opinion regarding sexually explicit material is rather liberal, or some might say progressive, but at the same time I agree that if most customers are uncomfortable with the displays, then some diplomatic compromises should be arranged. ##Good Books I've been meaning to review a couple of books that I read recently. One author that I have absolutely fallen for is Qiu Xiaolong, a Shanghai-born mystery writer with a penchant for verse, both Chinese and Western. He has only written two books so far, Death of a Red Heroine and A Loyal Character Dancer; both are set in Shanghai and follow the investigation of police detective Chen Cao, a character that Qiu admits was modeled on what his life would have been like had he stayed in China. Death of a Red Heroine discusses the struggle between individual will and the will of the political system, with a twisty ending that even I didn't predict. His descriptions of places around Shanghai, like the Bund and the old French quarter, really made me nostalgic and introduced me to some sights that I will surely visit, should I find myself in Shanghai again. In the second book, A Loyal Character Dancer, Qiu introduces an American investigator who accompanies inspector Chen on his adventures. The twist is that she is a woman, one more romantic mystery in Chen's already vague love life. I found the second book more awkwardly written in places, as Qiu tries to pass the American off as a Chinese studies major. She bumbles her way around Chinese culture and etiquette, only shining during interrogations and with the occasional historical reference. In an interview with Mystery News, Qiu Xiaolong mentions his next project, consisting of over twenty independent yet interrelated stories, and another addition to the Chief Inspector Chen series. I can't wait! The Winter 2003 issue of the Wilson Quarterly had two articles that caught my attention. First off, Normal Kutcher dissects the current debate in China surrounding plans to restore the Old Summer Palace, or Yuanming Yuan. I had assumed that the supporters of reconstruction would be hard-liners who want to erase China's colonial past, and rebuild what French and British troops destroyed in 1860 in retaliation for the death of several individuals sent to China to enforce what were seen as unfair trade treaties. Refreshingly, this was not the case. Instead, the main point of contention was whether preservation as a means of commemoration is a uniquely Western value. According to the article, supporters of reconstruction have begun to enunciate a new kind of nationslism, rooted in the principle that the Chinese past must be commemorated in a Chinese way. The architecture of Rome and Greece employed mainly stone, while the tool of Chinese architecture was mainly wood. Building with a more flammable and rot-prone material meant that the Chinese have long had a tradition of tearing down and rebuilding their great works of architecture; thus, the proper way to educate people about Chinese history and restore the Yuanming Yuan to glory would be to rebuild it. It's a convincing argument, and one that I would have to think about. Given the communal groan that rises from the Oriental mailing list every time somebody posts an article about the tearing down of a hutong or the renovating of a temple, it would be interesting to toss this article their way. Another good article is the one following the main theme of "Holy Wars" that focuses on Iran. Since this entry is taking forever to type, I will only say a few words about it. Afshin Molavi starts off with a historical survey of Islam in Iran, and likens the current state of the religion to Christianity just before the Reformation. [Reformist academic] Aghajari's crime was to dispute the clergy's role as intercessors between man and God and to call for an Islamic Reformation. I quote this because about a month ago I made this same analogy to Pat Lampman when he came into Borders to do some reading on Islam. I plan to forward this article to him. ##On the Nightstand Last but not least, I'll mention the books I'm reading right now. Having read most of Haruki Murakami's other books, I've begun on Sputnik Sweetheart. His themes are so alien and confusing, but it's almost comforting to read because they are so familiar to me now. Also on the bedside table, Ryan from Borders turned me onto Don DeLillo's White Noise, the book that coined the term "white noise". Buzzword coinage was the same reason I read Generation X by Douglas Coupland, and since Ryan has eclectic, alternative tastes in media, I figured it was worth a read. Very interesting so far. ##A Note Regarding Last Post Shirley wrote to inform me that her mom thinks the study I cited in my last entry was done in Taiwan, as the names are more likely to represent the distribution of names used on the island, rather than those on the mainland.