The appendix includes a vital historical record of the books Mao actually held, which serves as a definitive resource for researchers looking at the history of the Chinese Communist Party and modern Chinese intellectual history. Reading Notes 1: Mao Zedong's “On Practice“
Details his extensive critiques of traditional Chinese dynastic histories (such as the Twenty-Four Histories ) and how he drew lessons for modern leadership. The appendix includes a vital historical record of
The work serves three primary functions in the field of Mao Zedong studies: The collection is frequently used in China today
It traces the "theoretical source" of Mao Zedong Thought beyond just political documents, showing how he "absorbed, discarded, and transformed" ideas from diverse sources. showing how he "absorbed
The collection is frequently used in China today as a textbook for leadership and self-improvement, emphasizing the concept of "living study" (把书读活)—turning static knowledge into dynamic action.
It highlights Mao’s unique "reading for use" approach—the habit of never reading a book in isolation but always connecting its contents to contemporary Chinese problems.
The collection is typically organized into several thematic volumes, categorized by the types of literature Mao studied: