Flourishing Tree Book Club, Session Nine: Fresh Wind and Flowing Water, Sun, Moon and Stars

“Fresh wind and flowing water, sun, moon and stars”—a line drawn from one of the books, and one that captures the distinctive, wide-ranging spirit of this session of the book club.

With his deep understanding of thinkers and economists, Andy led us on a journey through a complex and dazzling landscape of worldviews, philosophies, and ideas about economics.

Richard carried us across time and space, offering a glimpse into the mysteries of the world to come.

Joyce’s reflections are always warm and profound. The subjects she explores—of the spirit and the inner life—are like a gentle spring breeze that clears away the fog in our hearts, leaving us more forgiving and more understanding as we come to know ourselves and others.

Carolyn, an explorer devoted to literature and history, filled our reading journey with the weight of time and the texture of lived stories. She believes that every historical detail, every turn of a literary plot, can move the heart and help it grow.

The World in 5,000 Days

Reader: Richard

In the early 1990s, a book titled Out of Control burst onto the scene, written by Kevin Kelly. It won acclaim not only for the foresight of its ideas but for the depth of its insight, and came to be regarded as a foundational work. At a time when computers and the internet had yet to spread widely, when mobile phones were still bulky and cumbersome, and when smartphones and the mobile internet seemed like distant, almost unimaginable concepts, Kelly, with singular vision, foresaw the rise of a whole series of technological developments—cloud computing, the internet of things, the networked society, virtual reality, the network economy, even virtual currencies—as well as the trajectory of the commercial world to come, from the free economy to the ascent of tech giants. In doing so he revealed a profound grasp of how technology develops and how business models transform.

The publication of Out of Control made Kevin Kelly’s name resound throughout the internet world, and he came to be honored as an observer, prophet, and even futurist of the internet age. Following Out of Control, Kelly published The World in 5,000 Days, in which, drawing on his close study of past and future cycles of technological development, he advanced a thesis: every major technological advance unfolds over a cycle of roughly 5,000 days. In this book he not only looked back on the birth of the internet and the fusion of the smartphone with social networks, but also looked ahead to smart glasses and the “mirror world”—a new form of technology that blends the real and the virtual—envisioning an entirely new world of shared information, real-time connection, and collaborative work.

Kelly’s foresight was not confined to the hardware of technology. He probed more deeply into how technology shapes our lives, our ways of working, and our understanding of the world. His concept of the “mirror world,” for instance, uses smart glasses and augmented reality to fuse digital information seamlessly with the physical world, opening up an entirely new mode of interaction for humankind. Such innovation not only allows us to move freely between history and the present, exploring the world at different points in time, but also vastly enriches the texture of our lives.

Amid the tide of the information revolution, Kelly further foresaw a future in which artificial intelligence would be applied everywhere, transforming from the ground up our understanding of the attention economy, data privacy, and digital assets. In a future of ceaseless technological evolution, he argued, data would become the new “oil,” and those enterprises and individuals who commanded data would hold the key to the competitive advantages of the future.

Kelly’s reflections and predictions display not only his deep insight into technological development but also his portrait of a future world both full of challenges and rich with opportunity. In that world, the power of technology continually drives society forward, and each of us is at once a participant in and a witness to this transformation.

The reason Kevin Kelly can so accurately foresee the currents of technological development and social change lies in his distinctive way of thinking. He examines technological development through the lens of evolution, viewing technology as a living thing with its own trajectory of self-evolution. Although the broad direction of technology seems predetermined, the pace and specific form of its progress are full of uncertainty. Kelly is also skilled at thought experiments, using hypothetical reasoning to predict future trends, which allows him, amid complex and shifting technological change, to identify with clarity the key factors and the latent shifts.

From Kelly’s thinking we learn that, in facing the future, we should hold to an open and evolutionary perspective and dare to explore every possibility. This way of thinking applies not only to forecasting technological trends but also to the complex problems and challenges we meet in life.

What Kelly displays is not only optimism about the technological future but a deep philosophy of living. In this rapidly changing world, he stresses, the capacity to adapt and to keep learning matters more than possessing any fixed body of knowledge. In an age of rapid AI development, this capacity is especially crucial. Kelly’s optimism holds that technology’s benefits and harms are roughly matched, yet he believes that even a slight positive margin can accumulate, over the long river of history, into enormous progress.

However uncertain the future may be, holding to an optimistic, open frame of mind—and trusting in human creativity and adaptability—is the key to meeting challenges and moving toward a better tomorrow. What Kelly champions is not merely a positive attitude toward technological progress but a deep understanding and love of life itself.

In this ever-changing age, he suggests, we must continually adjust the way we do things, and even dare to abandon outdated systems of knowledge and begin again from zero. This view underscores the importance, in facing the future, of a powerful capacity to adapt and to keep learning. Against the backdrop of rapid AI development, this capacity is all the more crucial, for AI has not only accelerated the pace at which knowledge is renewed but has also given humanity unprecedented opportunities to explore new fields, master new skills, and shorten the time needed to learn and adapt.

Kelly’s optimism is not blind; it rests on a deep understanding drawn from long observation of history. Although the positive and negative effects of technological development nearly cancel out, he holds, the positive influence has a slight edge—and even a small advantage, set against the long river of history, can accumulate into the force that continually drives humanity forward and improves the conditions of life. This optimism, born of historical observation, offers a frame of mind for facing challenge and uncertainty: even in a present full of crisis and difficulty, one can keep faith, trusting that human creativity, adaptability, and wisdom will in the end help us overcome hardship and meet a more beautiful tomorrow.

In facing the unknown and its challenges, one should stay optimistic and trust in one’s own capacity to learn and adapt—this is the key to moving toward the future. As Kelly puts it, hoping tomorrow will be better is a lovely aspiration, but only those who can imagine a beautiful future are truly likely to make it real. This attitude applies not only to technological development but to the attitude and action we bring to the many challenges of life.

Through his eyes, we see not only a future full of possibility but also learn how to meet that future with a more positive and open frame of mind. In an age of relentless technological development and social change, whatever the challenge, the capacity to stay optimistic and to keep learning and adapting will be our most precious asset.

The Road to Serfdom

Reader: Andy

Now and then, upon the broad stage of history, works appear that not only pass through the long river of time to become enduring symbols, but with the depth of their thought and the originality of their insight shape the hearts and spirits of one generation after another. The Road to Serfdom, a landmark work in the fields of modern economics and political philosophy, is precisely such a book. It is not merely an arrangement of words but a revolution of thought, an awakening of the soul. With its singular power, this book became a landmark work of personal transformation and intellectual evolution, its value and significance reaching far beyond the book itself.

Friedrich Hayek, the book’s author, was an outstanding economist and political philosopher born in Austria. Hayek is renowned for his deep insight into and firm support for the free-market economy; his academic career spanned top institutions in London, Chicago, and Freiburg, closely bound to both the Austrian School and the Chicago School of economics. Both schools emphasize the importance of individualism and the free-market economy, and Hayek’s writings are the great synthesis of these ideas.

The publication of The Road to Serfdom marked not only Hayek’s transformation—from a pure economic theorist focused on money and business cycles into a comprehensive thinker spanning economics, philosophy, law, sociology, and psychology—but, more importantly, it drove a transformation in social thought, influencing many politicians and becoming the theoretical foundation for their policies. In the book Hayek analyzed with great depth the fundamental opposition between the free market and the planned economy, and the effect of that opposition on individual freedom and social order.

In this work Hayek did not merely criticize the planned economy and totalitarianism; more importantly, he set forth the bright prospect of a liberal economy. Through the lens of history he analyzed in depth the many latent dangers of socialism and the planned economy, warning that in pursuing social justice and equality people must not lose individual freedom and the vitality of the market economy. This profound insight and forward-looking thought make The Road to Serfdom not merely a book but an intellectual awakening, a stirring of the spirit.

Hayek’s work, like Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations and Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, represents a distinct school of economic thought. The Wealth of Nations revealed the laws by which the market economy operates, while Das Kapital explored the conception of building a socialist economy. The Road to Serfdom, standing between these two great bodies of thought, offered firm support for the free-market economy and a profound critique of the planned economy, giving us an entirely new perspective from which to consider the relationship between economic systems and social order.

In the book, Hayek analyzed not only the inner contradictions and latent dangers of the socialist planned economy but delved further into the deep opposition between individualism and collectivism. The core problem of the planned economy, he argued, lies in its dependence on central omniscience—which is not only unrealistic but leads to the inefficient allocation of resources and to social injustice. Through a firm defense of individual freedom, Hayek revealed to us the superiority of the market economy and its respect for the individual.

These ideas of Hayek’s retain powerful contemporary significance and far-reaching influence in today’s world. Against the backdrop of globalization, nations pursuing economic development also face a whole series of complex questions—how to balance the market economy against government intervention, individual freedom against social responsibility. The Road to Serfdom is not only the distillation of Hayek’s own wisdom but a beacon lighting the way as humanity explores the path between freedom and order, progress and harmony.

With the depth of his thought and the originality of his insight, Hayek left an indelible mark on economics and political philosophy. This book is not only a profound reflection on personal transformation and intellectual evolution but a deep insight into the relationship between freedom and control, market and plan. Hayek’s theory offers not only a new perspective for economics but a key for understanding modern society.

On the road of exploring liberalism, Hayek warns us that although central planning and control appear able to achieve economic efficiency and social fairness, in the end they lead to the loss of individual freedom and the weakening of social innovation. He firmly believed that only in a market economy where free competition and individual innovation are respected can society truly flourish and progress. This view appears all the more forward-looking and illuminating against today’s backdrop of highly globalized economies and rapidly developing internet technology.

Hayek was not only an economist but a philosopher and social thinker. He understood deeply that an economic system is not merely about the distribution and production of material wealth but about human freedom, dignity, and development. The Road to Serfdom was born under the guidance of this very idea: it not only reveals the latent harms of socialism and the centrally planned economy but also stresses the importance of the free-market economy in safeguarding individual freedom and promoting social progress.

In the book, through comparative analysis, Hayek revealed the fundamental differences—and the potential outcomes—between a liberal economy and a planned economy. The free-market economy, he noted, though imperfect, provides a mechanism for dynamic adjustment and self-correction, one able to respond effectively to social and economic change. The planned economy, by contrast, with its inherent rigidity and centralized character, often struggles to adapt to change, leading to wasted resources and economic inefficiency.

Hayek’s thought influenced not only the field of economics but had a far-reaching impact at the political and social levels. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, as the free-market economy and democratic political systems spread across the globe, we can see the practical application and verification of Hayek’s theory. Yet in the face of the challenges and crises brought by globalization, Hayek’s warnings retain great contemporary significance, reminding us that in pursuing economic development and social progress we must not overlook the foundational role of individual freedom and the market mechanism.

This book is not only a classic of economics and political philosophy but a work exploring human freedom and social civilization. With its profound insight and original theory, it has left an indelible mark on economics and political philosophy and provided precious intellectual resources and theoretical guidance for understanding and building a freer, more just, and more prosperous society. The historical significance and contemporary value of this book will grow ever clearer with the passage of time, and the light of its thought will illuminate the future road of human society.

Allow Everything to Happen

Reader: Joyce

In sharing this book, titled Allow Everything to Happen, I have to confess that on first contact it did not move me deeply. I chose it entirely because someone happened to recommend it, which prompted me to walk into a bookstore and buy it.

Although my first impression was not profound, I still decided to share it. Reading it more closely, I found that it does hold a value of its own. The book comes from the pen of Li Mengji, a young writer who at the age of twenty-two became known for a bestseller. Li Mengji’s writing spans stories of youth, touching on love, the family of origin, the ups and downs of a career, and the rebirth found within them. The book is full of the author’s personal feelings and deep reflections on the people and events around them. Although the chapters are designed to be read independently, in my hurried skimming they seemed a little loose, and I even skipped some parts. For me the book’s depth still seemed somewhat lacking, yet the core idea it conveys—that true strength comes not from resistance but from allowing everything to happen naturally, including accepting one’s own loss of control and vulnerability, giving oneself time to adjust and to relax, and accepting things as they are—revealed, upon reflection, a profound wisdom.

Some of the key ideas in this book differ subtly from my earlier understanding, which perhaps reflects my own growth and change over these past months. The title, Allow Everything to Happen, for instance, suggests a positive attitude toward life, one that can help us face and resolve life’s difficulties. Through my own experience, I have gradually come to understand that the breadth and depth of life are proportional to the diversity of one’s experiences. Even in the middle stretch of life, I increasingly prefer a calm rather than a turbulent existence—both because of accumulated experience and because of a deeper understanding of things.

Though the book does not develop the point in detail, I strongly agree with its view: the capacity to face challenges is precisely the measure of a person’s true strength.

My life experience, from childhood on, has taught me that facing challenges independently is an extremely precious ability. I am grateful that I began making my own decisions after finishing middle school—a rare and valuable experience. The book’s phrase “allow everything to be as it is” speaks to the importance of acceptance and yielding; its opposite, refusal and resistance, tends only to bring discomfort.

“The days are your own to live; whether they are comfortable, whether they are relaxed—the heart knows, and the brow knows.” This line prompted me to reflect on my own attitude toward life. As someone who often furrows her brow, I came to realize that, whatever one’s age, the ease and relaxation of life should radiate from deep within. In the face of the new challenges life continually presents—in family and in career—true relaxation and ease come from one’s own inner attitude.

I am deeply grateful for all the changes that the process of entrepreneurship has brought to my life. Starting a venture is not merely a career choice; it is an exploration of a way of living. On this journey I have learned to accept myself, coming to understand that true growth means accepting one’s own imperfection and embracing one’s authentic self. In acceptance and embrace, we can discover our most radiant parts. This was the inspiration I drew from the book while going back through my notes. Although I am not always satisfied with everything about myself, I have accepted my imperfections—and that is precisely why I can keep moving forward and becoming better.

On the road of pursuing perfection, we sometimes unconsciously demand too much of ourselves, and this excessive pursuit may not only cause us to overlook our authentic selves but even hinder us from seeing the value we truly wish to present to others. I have gradually come to realize that, while longing for others’ feedback and recognition matters, it matters even more to learn to find affirmation of one’s own worth even when no feedback comes. This was an important discovery in my process of self-exploration. I once would not allow myself to show vulnerability or inadequacy, always striving to present a brave face. But last year I came to a deep realization: showing people that I can accept help, that I can reveal weakness, is in fact a kind of strength.

This experience made me understand that I need not always struggle alone, as if I had to bear the weight of the whole world. In truth, there are many people around me willing to lend a hand and offer support. This realization has made me, in facing difficulty, more willing to accept my own imperfection, to let myself off the hook in my darkest moments, and to accept and embrace those unbearable parts—which is profoundly healing for the wounds of the heart.

In life we meet many people, but truly beautiful encounters are rare. I firmly believe that if you love something, you should bravely pursue it; when you gain it, you should cherish it. And if you lose it—though this is hard to do—you must also learn to let go. This is yet another lesson from my continual learning and growth, one that makes me treasure every encounter and experience all the more, and move forward without regret.

The book’s reflections on love are truly moving. Love is understood by many as sex, marriage, a morning kiss, or a group of children at play—all of these are expressions of love. Yet this passage offers a subtler and more profound view: love is the contradictory feeling of wanting to touch and yet drawing back one’s hand. This description portrays an almost tender self-restraint, a respect for another’s space, and at the same time an understanding of the preciousness and fragility of deep affection. It makes us realize that the expression of love is not always through touch or through obvious gestures; sometimes it is a nearness of the spirit, a knowing of when to draw close and when to keep one’s distance.

Allow Everything to Happen is not only a book; it is an attitude toward life, a courage in facing life, a profound wisdom about living. It teaches us that the most beautiful parts of life often come from the very challenges and difficulties we are most reluctant to face. It is precisely these experiences that shape our character, temper our souls, and make us more complete selves. In the company of this book, we can face life more bravely and accept all that life brings with greater composure.

The Right Bank of the Argun River

Reader: Carolyn

Reading The Right Bank of the Argun River, I felt as though I had crossed through time and space to stand in a pristine and mysterious woodland. Every word, every sentence, was like a spring breeze upon the face—nourishing my inner world and offering a journey of spiritual cleansing. Chi Zijian’s touch is like fine rain moistening all things, silently reaching into the heart, and with her distinctive prose-poem language she pours out the story of her own growth and her deep reflections on the future.

Chi Zijian’s name, like her literary work, is full of poetry. All of this stems from the literary household in which she was raised and from her father, a lover of classical literature. Inspired by Cao Zhi—one of the celebrated masters of the Jian’an era—he gave her this name, foreshadowing her future literary path. The place where Chi Zijian grew up, the Arctic Village, ringed by birch forests, covered in snow, lush with unusual plants, and filled with fresh air, deeply shaped her writing. Her works are steeped throughout with deep longing for her homeland and praise for the natural world.

Chi Zijian’s path of growth and rising fame is a microcosm of the artist’s self-exploration and self-realization. At first she tried many styles and subjects; gradually she began to study the works of the literary masters in depth, learning how they portrayed the psychology of their characters and how they broke through the technical difficulties of writing. All of this was the fruit of her continual learning and self-training. Her work, like Yasunari Kawabata’s Snow Country, with its refined language and delicate emotion, opens up one world after another in the reader’s heart.

When a writer has found their own voice, they often return to their roots, exploring themes bound to the journey of their own life. So it was with Chi Zijian: again and again she returned to the Arctic Village, taking its birch forests as her backdrop as she created her literary work. In the same way, Mo Yan returned to Gaomi and Yu Hua to Haiyan; their works, too, continually explore and give form to their own homelands and origins.

The Right Bank of the Argun River not only depicts the life of the Evenki, a minority people, but through this people’s intimate connection with the natural world reveals the profound theme of humanity and nature living in harmony. The Argun River, a natural dividing line along the Sino-Russian border, has witnessed the Evenki’s tradition of seasonal migration through the changing year, revealing a way of life at once ancient and sacred.

Reading this book, we can feel not only the author’s deeply affectionate portrayal of her homeland’s natural landscape, but also glimpse the culture and traditions that time has laid down, and the subtle yet unbreakable bond between humanity and nature. This book is a deep exploration of Evenki culture and a considered reflection on the human condition.

In this work, the Evenki people’s way of living in harmony with nature is vividly portrayed. Among the men, the skill of hunting is not only the basic means of survival but a symbol of their self-respect. Those men who could no longer hunt because of injury or illness turned instead to activities such as processing furs; though they preserved their contribution to the tribe, their hearts were undoubtedly filled with loss and sorrow.

The Evenki practice monogamy and hold to Shamanism, a faith deeply reflected in their customs. Here, the women bear all the responsibilities of the household apart from hunting—preparing and storing food, making clothing, and the like, all within their domain. Through the book’s first-person narration by “I,” we come to understand deeply the life and thought of this woman, the wife of the last Evenki chieftain.

Admirably, Chi Zijian completed this Mao Dun Literature Prize–winning work in only three months. The book spans nearly a century of history—a span reckoned through the life of a protagonist over ninety years old. From spring to winter, her story seems to flow along with the waters of the Argun River. With her consummate pen, Chi Zijian leads the reader through the turning of the seasons, each scene rendered so vividly and true to life that one can feel, directly from the words, the breath of each season. She delicately portrays the xilengzhu—the dwelling built of birch bark, whose tiny gaps at the top let the sunlight fall in dappled patterns, so that each night, as the light shifts, reveals a different beauty.

The book explores in depth the important place of Shamanism among the Evenki. The shaman priest prays for the gods’ protection through dance and poetry, and this ancient religious rite reveals its wondrous power in the face of sickness and disaster. Yet behind this power there often comes great personal sacrifice. Through the stories of two generations of shaman priests, the book portrays their difficult choices between the fulfillment of duty and personal sacrifice.

Chi Zijian’s work not only profoundly reveals the traditional way of life of the Evenki but also reflects the complex and subtle relationships between humanity and nature, faith and sacrifice. Through her words we glimpse that distant and mysterious world, and feel a deep reverence for life, for nature, and for the passing on of culture.

In this book’s narration, the handling of time reveals the author’s singular artistry. She does not mark the passage of time through direct numbers but conveys it through the rhythm of nature—the changing sky, the cycle of the seasons, the growth cycles of plants and animals. This mode of expression makes one feel as though standing within a boundless forest, sensing the passing of time through the alternation of sun, moon, and stars and the turning of the four seasons. Through human experiences—birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the passing of the family line—the reader can feel the weight and the transformation of time.

Told from a first-person perspective, the book spans the stories of four generations, delicately portraying the influence of time upon the individual and the family. From the grandparents’ generation to the present and on to the descendants—across a span of about a century—the author, with a fine touch, depicts the changes in life from parents to children. As the story advances to the generation of the grandchildren, the thread of time gradually draws near the modern age, passing through historical events such as the Liberation and even the Cultural Revolution, and the impact of foreign civilization upon the traditional way of life, making one marvel at how swiftly the world changes.

Beyond its distinctive treatment of time, the book’s portrayal of love is likewise rich in poetry and depth. Through the author’s narration, we seem to see picture after picture: a woman whose whole self seems adorned with the colors of autumn, those hues grown all the more brilliant after the trial of wind and frost—this is the story of the author’s grandmother. This love, constrained by the customs of tradition, could not reach its fulfillment, yet the feeling within it was deep and pure, reflecting a respect and reverence in the way love was regarded.

Deepening its exploration of love, the book, through descriptions of two marriages and the experience of love among different men, reveals the diversity and complexity of love. With a delicate touch the author conveys to the reader the subtle shifts of feeling and the deep experience of personal emotion, vividly portraying the wonder and the power of love.

Through its distinctive treatment of time and its profound exploration of love, this book reveals the most precious parts of life. It is not only a narration of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and of the passing of the family line, but a deep reflection on nature, on love, and on the human experience of life. This narration profoundly portrays the work’s complex and delicate exploration of life, death, love, and hatred. In the book, through a compact plot, the author presents the births and deaths of many familiar characters, and this rapid, concentrated mode of narration may leave the reader momentarily unable to adjust—yet it is precisely this interweaving of life and death that mirrors the true face of life. After recounting so many deaths, the author realizes she has dwelt too much on death, but this is unavoidable, for death is the inescapable end of every life. The view of life she sets forth is that life and death, sorrow and joy, funerals and weddings are all indispensable parts of life, to be accepted with composure rather than avoided.

Through the stories of the protagonist and her family, the book also explores in depth the conflict and fusion between knowledge and nature, tradition and modernity. The protagonist’s doubt toward knowledge, together with her praise for the beauty of nature, reveals a figure deeply rooted in a traditional way of life, bewildered by and resistant to modern civilization. Yet as the story unfolds, the protagonist’s granddaughter—an educated painter of modern society—becomes a symbol of the clash between these two ways of life. Though she succeeds in art, she suffers in spirit, reflecting the deep tension between tradition and modernity, nature and civilization.

Through The Right Bank of the Argun River, we not only read a story about the life of the Evenki people but experience a journey of the spirit, feeling the profound meaning of time, of love, and of life and death. With her literary work, Chi Zijian reveals to us a world of many dimensions, rich in philosophy and emotional depth, guiding us to reflect on the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, tradition and modernity. This work is without doubt a microcosm of her deep exploration of literary art and the philosophy of life, and a gentle yet profound touch upon the reader’s heart.

Learning and growth are not a race but a tranquil stroll—a curiosity about the unknown upon waking each morning, a longing for growth before falling asleep each night. They are the serene beauty of “fresh wind and flowing water, sun, moon and stars,” the tender restraint of “wanting to touch and yet drawing back the fingers.” We look forward to seeing you in the next session!