Library

Xuanzang traveled across the Western Regions to Tianzhu to obtain scriptures. European medieval scholars wanted to cross the English Channel and cross the Alps for a rare volume from an Italian monastery. Nowadays, the Internet provides a convenience that humans cannot resist, with nearly endless reading possibilities at the fingertips. In the digital age, where will human civilization with "books" as its carrier go? We asked two people on the planet who are perhaps the most qualified to talk about this topic: Umberto Eco and Jean-Claude Carriere. One is a dazzling encyclopedic scholar, a world-renowned Italian philosopher, semiotician, and novelist; the other is a film dean, a famous screenwriter, and the founder of the French National Film Institute. They are both bibliophiles and rare book trackers. They have a deep understanding of books and a keen insight into the changes in various cultural carriers in the technological revolution.