Collection: Book Exhibition ── Life's Difficulties

In the 21st century, scientific advancements and the expansion of knowledge have given us a deeper understanding of life. However, urban life, where basic needs are met, has also brought a series of problems and challenges, ranging from concerns about environmental changes to our own emotions. Ever since Freud reminded us that we are complex organisms, the emphasis on thoughts, desires, and emotions has exploded in contemporary times.

Drawing from "Oxford Very Short Introductions II," published by Left Bank Publishing, we explore six "life dilemmas" of the 21st century: depression, anxiety, drugs, superstition, love, and pain. Here, we offer these as a starting point to expand into more extended book selections.

For instance, what is love? We constantly ask: What is the essence of love? Is love a selfless devotion or a selfish desire? Does it carry obligations, or is it merely an outpouring of emotion? Can science answer these questions?

With love, pain often follows, whether it's physical pain or mental torment. Our understanding of suffering also influences how we treat ourselves and others. So, is pain a physical sensation, an emotion, a cultural construct, or a potential for empathy?

In this book series, depression is considered an epidemic that cannot be solved by vaccines, yet questions about the nature of depression persist. Many people's depression stems from anxiety, and anxiety, as one of the basic human emotions, profoundly affects our lives. However, when anxiety exceeds a certain degree, how do we define it as an illness? When facing such psychological distress, some choose to rely on medication to alleviate symptoms, which then raises the issue of the boundary between medicine and drugs. Pharmaceutical treatments have brought immense progress, but they have also prompted reflections on superstition and belief.

Taiwanese anthropologist Chao En-Chieh, states in her introduction: "Only when we understand that depression is a form of pain, superstition is a feeling of being loved and supported by society, and drugs reflect our underlying anxiety, can we, in a highly atomized social structure, comprehend the social roots of the six major troubles of the 21st century and construct a healing culture suitable for every community and every individual."

Perhaps in this selection of books, we can find clues to our own answers.

(*This is a physical book exhibition)