Hearty words

The book, Letters Alive: Season 2, by China Citic Press is a collection of 49 selected letters written by Chinese people. It's a handy peek into the inner world of the Chinese, spanning thousands of years, with the oldest letter written by historian Sima Qian in 93 BC to the latest one written by a leukemia patient to his mother last year. The book is divided into eight themes, and has brief introductions of the people involved and interpretations from experts. Based on a hit TV program of the same title, it also contains six letters that did not feature in the program. One can also use a smartphone to listen to audio passages from the book read out by celebrities.