Quick Inventory of the East Wind Bookstore, Fuzhou, China, November, 2005

1. Several cases (each case has about a hundred books) of Western Classic Literature, mixed in with what I believe are the last four Harry Potter Books (no name of any publisher given), and about twenty copies of the Chinese Version of Bill Clinton's My Life, most with the cover removed. (Why???)

2. Communist Propaganda: about thirty titles, most in the Sociology section: they are gathering dust and I get a funny look from a couple of students when I bend down to look at them. I think - could there be the rustling of bookmites eating the pages? I beat a hasty retreat.

3. Translations of Dinesh DeSouza, Thomas Friedman, Alvin Toffler, Thomas Sowell, etc...In fact, it seems like almost any book written anywhere in the world, from any point of view, including those clearly hostile to that of the CCP's official ideology, is available, as long as it is not specifically about China. The rest of the sociology section. About ten full cases.

4. Business titles: two cases of "Cheese" books. This includes, the original, American classic of management, "Who moved my cheese?", and the follow up titles: Moving Cheese Is Wrong. Nobody Moved the Cheese. Moving Cheese in China. Workbook for Moving Cheese. Why Cheese Moves and What it Means to You? Become Wealthy Through Moving Cheese. China Does Not Need Cheese Moved.

5. Other business titles: 6 cases. Some translations of Drucker, Porter, other US management classics: many unrecognizable titles. (Example: The Secret Style of Management Not to Be Known by Anyone. This has the seal of the CIA on it.)

6. Chinese literature: 10 Cases. Prominantly in front is "Karaoke Girl" a hot best seller about the life of prostitutes in Shanghai's Karaoke Parlors. Jammed in the back are the usual books on Confucious, the Tao, the Four Books. Some new writers, most unknown in the west. Mainly sentimental love stories, "Urban Novels", etc. Nothing by Guo Jianxing. Nothing by Han Jie. In fact, nothing about any prominent dissident Chinese writer. One shelf full of books about how miserable life was in the Cultural Revolution, called "Misery Literature". Two old people in blue jackets are looking through this section.

7. Art books. Ten cases. Mainly classical Chinese art, some modern art, a lot of Russian art. A book called "Fifty Chinese Artists Draw China's People Love for Taiwan". A young scrawny kid, incredibly fashionably dressed, with square hornrimmed classes is reading through this.

9. Cookbooks, Travel Guides, (China, the US, Western Europe), Games (Go and Chinese Chess, with some bridge and Western Casino games through in): about ten cases.

10. Under the counter: the "True" biography of Chairman Mao, the Tiananmen Papers, several copies of books on politics; no publishers, no printer identification of any kind. (All you have to do is ask)...