Publishing, Culture, and Power in Early Modern China-轻识

This book is a path-breaking study of print culture in early modern China. It argues that printing with both woodblocks and movable type exerted a profound influence on Chinese society in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The book examines the rise and impact of print culture from both economic and cultural perspectives.

In economic terms, the central issues were th...

In economic terms, the central issues were the price of books and the costs of book production. Chow argues that contrary to accepted views, inexpensive books were widely available to a growing literate population. An analysis of the economic and operating advantages of woodblock printing explains why it remained the dominant technology even as the use of movable type was expanding.

The cultural focus shows the impact of commercial publishing on the production of literary culture, particularly on the civil service examination. The expansion of the book market produced publicity for literary professionals whose authority came to challenge the authority of the official examiners.

周启荣（Kai-wing Chow），加州大学戴维斯分校历史学博士。现任伊利诺伊州立大学历史系、东亚语言文化系、中古史教授、史博洛博物馆馆长，2016年当选美国中西部亚洲研究学会（Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs）会长。主要研究中国思想史、礼学史、新文化史、比较书籍印刷史与公共文化史。主要著作有：《清代儒家礼教主义的兴起》（The Rise of Confucian Ritualism: Ethics, Classics, and Lineage Discourse）、《前近代中国的出版、文化与权力》（Publishing, Power, and Culture in Early Modern China）。近期著有Chow, K. W. (2019). Identities and literary cult...

译者张志强，南京大学出版研究院常务副院长，教授、博士生导师，美国哈佛大学博士后。全国出版专业学位研究生教育指导委员会副主任委员，国家社科基金重大项目首席专家，国家百千万人才工程国家级人选暨有突出贡献中青年专家，国务院特殊津贴获得者。长期从事出版理论与历史等方面的研究，曾获“中国出版政府奖（优秀出版人物奖）”、“中国图书奖”、宝钢优秀教师奖等奖励。