Confucius is still a bestseller

A book applying the 2,500-year-old teachings of philosopher Confucius to today’s problems was China’s bestselling nonfiction title last month, reflecting a desire for order in a rapidly changing nation.

“Sentiments on the Analects of Confucius,” by Yu Dan, led the nonfiction list for a third straight month in June, said Beijing OpenBook Co., which monitors sales at about 1,500 outlets nationwide. Confucius advocated a hierarchical social order where each person observes his station in life and defers to elders.

“Sentiments,” which beat titles on currency conflict and traditional healing, is based on Yu’s lectures in a popular TV series aired by state broadcaster China Central Television. The show’s success fueled sales, said Shuyu Kong, a professor of Chinese literature at the University of Sydney.

“The way Yu connects Confucian ideas with contemporary issues is very original and even creative,” said Kong. “Her books are a Chinese-style ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul.’ ”