Book description
PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST A New York Times Notable Book of 2022 What does it take to reinvent a language? After a meteoric rise, China today is one of the world's most powerful nations. Just a century ago, it was a crumbling empire with literacy reserved for the elite few, as the world underwent a massive technological transformation that threatened to leave them behind. In Kingdom of Characters, Jing Tsu argues that China's most daunting challenge was a linguistic one: the century-long fight to make the formidable Chinese language accessible to the modern world of global trade and digital technology. Kingdom of Characters follows the bold innovators who reinvented the Chinese language, among them an exiled reformer who risked a death sentence to advocate for Mandarin as a national language, a Chinese-Muslim poet who laid the groundwork for Chairman Mao's phonetic writing system, and a computer engineer who devised input codes for Chinese characters on the lid of a teacup from the floor of a jail cell. Without their advances, China might never have become the dominating force we know today. With larger-than-life characters and an unexpected perspective on the major events of China's tumultuous twentieth century, Tsu reveals how language is both a technology to be perfected and a subtle, yet potent, power to be exercised and expanded.
VisionVoyager
Effortless audiobook exploration โ this app's design is a reader's dream. Great app for listening to lectures and speeches. Highly useful! The app is very easy to use. ListenBook makes managing my audiobook library simple.
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Landfill Max
Drag and drop downloads are so convenient. No more messing around with complicated steps. Noise reduction feature is magic. Now I can listen to recordings even in noisy settings.
Innocent Ghost
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Crazy Rox
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Spooky Yellowjacket
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With this app, my daily routines have become moments of intellectual growth and personal enjoyment. I love how this app fits seamlessly into my daily routine. Audiobook immersion made simple โ this app's ease of use is commendable. Library organization has never been this easy. My audiobook collection is finally tidy. The auto-rewind feature is a small detail that has a big impact on my listening experience. I love it!
Scratch Man
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Judge
Being able to download audiobooks for offline listening is a game-changer. Audiobook multitasking simplified โ this app's functionality is truly commendable. I love the ability to change the playback pitch. Itโs a unique feature.
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This app's user-friendly interface has made reading on-the-go a breeze. The app's compatibility with CarPlay is a fantastic bonus. It keeps me entertained during long drives.
CodeExia
Audiobooks have become my constant companions, and this app's seamless functionality and diverse compatibility ensure that every tale is a captivating journey. ๐๐ง Middle-of-the-road experience. The audiobook was fineโgood narration, decent storyโbut it didnโt leave a lasting impression. If youโre looking for something low-commitment, this works.
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience