Bookplate by Cai Zhizhong from Duku 0601.

A (delayed) treat for rankings junkies this week - in addition to the aggregate rankings from The Beijing News, we bring you the top ten lists from a number of individual bookstores across China as reported in the Saturday China Books, Newspapers, and Periodicals Reader supplement to China Post News (in light of the potential boredom of those of you who are not rankings junkies, we've left the rankings until the bottom of this post).

Comparing the lists tends to reinforce the general impression one gets from the various bookstores (in Beijing, at least). The Xinhua bookstore at Wangfujing takes aim at general readers; it's top-ten list isn't too different from the aggregate lists this month. The only outlier, the soccer memoir A Cut to the Left, A Cut to the Right (左一刀，右一刀) by "Flying Dagger" Li Chengpeng, is explained by a book-signing session held last week by the author. Sanlian's list runs more toward the humanities; Fengrusong, at the south gate of Peking University, is more academic. Comparing Beijing's stores to outlets in other cities reveals that Beijing consumers, for better or for worse, seem to be less concerned about etiquette than those elsewhere.

Wonder what spurred on that burst of Lei Feng activity?

Although it seems that Chinese media has been treating the book as a new biography of a "stylish" Lei Feng, who wore an expensive watch, drove his era's BMW, and flirted with an older woman, Lei Feng Spirit (general NF #3) is really the biography of "Lei Feng" the icon - it could easily have been called "Manufacturing the Lei Feng Spirit." It doesn't stray from the orthodox history, however, but rather explains how that orthodox history arose. That heralded trove of photographs is presented in many cases as a behind-the-scenes look how the famous imagess were staged - seven shots of Lei Feng polishing a truck, for example, are accompanied by text that explains how Lei Feng's own Soviet truck was swapped for a domestic Jiefang.

The notes are often gently tongue-in-cheek, as in a caption to one photo reading, "The creator is unknown, but it probably was created later for propaganda use, combining Lei Feng's head image with the Young Pioneers logo, since Lei Feng at that time was probably not so precocious as to be able to take such a photo himself."

Even further afield is the book's final chapter, "Post-popular Lei Feng," brings together Xue Cun, Game Boy decals, and online gaming, and reproduces in its entirety an online essay, "1962: Lei Feng vs. Marilyn Monroe." Lei Feng Spirit concludes with an appendix comparing the Fengster, John Lennon, and Bruce Lee, all of whom were born in 1940 and died prematurely.

The chart pictured here displays trends in Lei Feng propaganda, based on the proportion of People's Daily articles given over to Lei Feng-related topics on 5 March in each year from 1963 through 1999. Green is the raw figure, yellow is weighted for article length, and purple is weighted for both length and page space.

Colorful writing hides in a plain cover.

The book has probably benefited from (and perhaps contributed to) the current storm of media attention surrounding the crosstalk performer Guo Degang, who up until a few months ago was merely a "non-famous actor in the Chinese crosstalk world." Duku 0601 features an article on Guo and his career, an interview with the man, and the text of one of his routines.

The general non-fiction bestseller list for the week of 03/17--03/23:

1. Impression by Fu Biao and Zhang Qiufang. A memoir by beloved actor Fu Biao and his wife. Fu passed away last year after a long illness; this book came out on Valentine's Day and was snapped up by fans. (傅彪,张秋芳, 《印记》)
2. Mao: A Biography by Ross Terrill. There's a brief note here. (特里尔, 《毛泽东传》)
3. Lei Feng Spirit (aka Lei Feng 1940-1962) by Shi Yonggang et. al. See brief note here. (师永刚等, 《雷锋1940-1962》)
4. The Melancholia of Empire by Yi Zhongtian. Subtitled "Politics and humanity in traditional Chinese society." (易中天, 《帝国的惆怅》)
5. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. (汉芙, 《查令十字街84号》)
6. Historical Outline of the Chinese People by Bo Yang. A three-volume popular history by an author from Taiwan. (柏杨, 《中国人史纲》)
7. Liu Xinwu demystifies "Dream of the Red Mansion" II by Liu Xinwu. See note here. 刘心武, 《刘心武揭秘〈红楼梦〉第2部》
8. 20 Lectures on Ancient Chinese Architecture by Lou Qingxi. A Tsinghua professor, formerly Liang Sicheng's assistant, talks about architecture. (楼庆西, 《中国古建筑二十讲》)
9. What a Wonderful Day by René Liu. Chinese title translates as "I want to go with you," English title is taken from a chapter heading. Pop star and actress reflects on life. (刘若英, 《我想跟你走》)
10. Duku 0601 by Zhang Lixian. Serialized on Sina. (张立宪, 《读库》)

The overall bestseller list for the week of 03/17--03/23:

1. (2) Padma by Annie Baby. (安妮宝贝, 《莲花》)
2. (4) Deception Point by Dan Brown. (丹·布朗, 《骗局》)
3. (3) Outsider 3 by Gwiyeoni. Earlier article on Danwei. (可爱淘, 《局外人3》)
4. (1) Impression by Fu Biao and Zhang Qiufang. A memoir by beloved actor Fu Biao and his wife. Fu passed away last year after a long illness; this book came out on Valentine's Day and was snapped up by fans. (傅彪,张秋芳, 《印记》)
5. (7) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. (丹·布郎,《达·芬奇密码》)
6. (9) Tibetan Mastiff by Yang Zhijun. Another "Way of the Animal" book. See brief note here. (杨 志军, 《藏獒》)
7. (5) Detail is the Key of Success by Wang Zhongqui. Business-related self-help book which has expanded into a lecture series available on VCD. The English title on the most common pirated version, ironically, is misspelled. Now in its second edition. (汪中求,《细节决定成败》)
8. (6) Be Your Personal Best by Li Kaifu: motivational book and DVD by Google's new China head. (李开复, 《做最好有自己》)
9. (-) Mao: A Biography by Ross Terrill. There's a brief note here. (特里尔, 《毛泽东传》)
10. (10) Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong: The long-running bestseller, set to be made into a movie. English translation forthcoming. (姜戎,《狼图腾》)

The China Post News top ten lists from a number of urban bookstores throughout China.

Xinhua Bookstore, Wangfujing
(1) Padma, (2) A Cut to the Left, A Cut to the Right, (3) Deception Point, (4) Outsider 3, (5) Winning at Administration, (6) Mao: A Biography, (7) Detail is the Key to Success, (8) Impression, (9) Loyalty Superior to Ability, (10) The Da Vinci Code.
Beijing Sanlian
(1) Old Photographs #45, (2) Writing Poetry from the Soul: Li Zhenxi's Diary II, (3) Writing Poetry from the Soul: Li Zhenxi's Diary I, (4) Padma, (5) Beijing Epicureans, (6) Duku 0601, (7) Reflection of Columbia, (8) Ninth Widow, (9) Industrial reorganization in economic transition, (10) This is Beijing.
Beijing Guolinfeng
(1) Be Your Personal Best, (2) Work for Yourself, (3) Tibetan Mastiff, (4) Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You: Do What Needs to Be Done!, (5) Winning at Administration, (6) The Da Vinci Code, (7) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, (8) That Lady, That Lady, (9) Brothers (part I), (10) Impression.
Beijing Fengrusong
(1) Organizational Principles of Public Administration, (2) Whose University?, (3) "Three Rurals" China (2006.1), (4) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, (5) Guide to Political Philosophy, (6) The Road to Serfdom, (7) Great History of China, (8) The Melancholia of Empire, (9) Ji Xianlin Talks About Life, (10) From the Soil.
Shanghai Book City
(1) Lectures in Etiquette, (2) Detail is the Key to Success, (3) The Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud, (4) The Da Vinci Code, (5) Corporate Presidents Talk Philosophy, (6) The Darwin Conspiracy, (7) Lolita, (8) Never Stick in the Mud, (9) China Self-Guided Tour (2006 update), (10) The Embrace.
Zhejiang Xinhua Online
(1) Outsider 3, (2) Q/A About Avian Flu, (3) Detail is the Key to Success, (4) Padma, (5) Western Economics, (6) Who are you working for?, (7) Deception Point, (8) A City, (9) The Da Vinci Code, (10) The Gift.
Fujian Distribution Center
(1) American-Style Service, (2) Deception Point, (3) Jolin's 6 English Word Parties, (4) Learn from the PLA, (5) Sample Questions for Training in Chinese Communist Party Regulations, (6) A City, (7) Red-character Copy Paper for Children, (8) Tibetan Mastiff, (9) Winning at Administration, (10) Qi Gong Talks about Calligraphy.
Guangzhou Dayoo Online
(1) Guangzhou Citizens' Etiquette Handbook, (2) Human Body Usage Handbook, (3) Time Management, (4) Deception Point, (5) A Body Without Toxins, (6) Getting on the Health Express at 40, (7) Freakonomics, (8) Outsider 3, (9) A Dream of Guangzhou, (10) The Da Vinci Code.
Shenyang Northern Book City
(1) Deception Point, (2) China Economics Lecture Hall, (3) Chronicles of Narnia, (4) Impression, (5) Hisense Breaks Out, (6) Margaret's Secret, (7) Be Your Personal Best, (8) China's Greatest Trials, (9) Coarse Cotton, (10) 100 Details that Decide a Woman's Life.
Dangdang Online
(1) Human Body Usage Handbook, (2) Padma, (3) Winning, (4) The Melancholia of Empire, (5) The Da Vinci Code, (6) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, (7) Qiao Family Compound, (8) A Guide to Elegance, (9) Brothers (Part I), (10) Impression.

Bestseller rankings are taken from the Friday Book Review section in The Beijing News, which compiles its data from the city's major online and brick & mortar bookstores.