A "handbook" on book burning by writer Ma Boyong has started a heated online debate. Ma has said that books on success, self-inspiration and healthcare and celebrities' autobiographies will be the first ones he would burn to seek warmth if he was locked inside a library in extreme cold. Many netizens have agreed with him because most of such books lack substantial contents, says an article in People's Daily. Excerpts:

It is an open question whether such books should be burnt or not, but the popularity of such books, to some extent, characterizes the time we live in. In a rapidly developing society, readers are expected to incline toward pragmatism and utilitarianism. Therefore, even if such books are burnt, their demand may not necessarily diminish.

Netizens' agreement with Ma suggests that they are unhappy with publishers for churning out poor quality books in the four categories. To make money, almost all publishers focus on a couple of hot topics and authors, for example, a biography of Steve Jobs, which shows that the boom in the publishing industry comes from wasteful repetitions.

The publishing industry should follow the path of sustainable development and provide literary works of good quality instead of just catering to popular appeal.

In fact, there are some excellent books on the four subjects. But the problem is they are buried under the weight of the useless ones.

(China Daily 08/17/2012 page9)