The Way Forward: Finding Sovereignty and Wisdom (Xuemo)

Drawing on his renowned fictional works and his own life story, Xuemo presents what he sees as the path to meaning, fulfilment and self-determination. How should we live? How can we deal with loss? What, in the end, is truly important?

Xuemo's adopted name means literally 'Snow Desert', reflecting the landscape of his native Gansu province of Western China. All of his works draw upon and reflect the culture of the people of this harsh and isolated environment, as well as upon his deep scholarship of the Confucian and Buddhist traditions. In The Way Forward he tries to answer the fundamental questions of how we should be in the world, how to make important life decisions, and how we should set our fundamental priorities. This is no glib self-help book, the answers it offers are by no means easy ones. Instead, Xuemo challenges us to reflect upon what we truly value and what we truly need in life, rejecting distractions and whatever is ultimately inconsequential.

Xue Mo, formerly known as Chen Kaihong, was born in Liangzhou, Gansu province. He is currently a cultural scholar, China's National First-class Writer, and Vice President of Gansu Writers Association.