Poor copy of Ice Bucket challenges readers

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He says: "There are so many influential books. It is hard and meaningless to select 10 to say they are the most influential. Even if someone did nominate me, I would probably ignore the request."

The book challenge made news headlines, with critics commenting on the lack of its wide acceptance and the fact that many people listed popular fiction and textbooks as books that inspired them most, which indicated that Chinese people are not only reading less but also not enough good books.

Moreover, the Book List Challenge on Facebook, which went viral in August and September, worked for a cause. It not only asked people to list their top 10 books, but also asked them to donate the books to their nearby library or to needy people, and challenge others to do the same.

But the Chinese version of the challenge didn't have any such aspect. Many people, including Mao, felt uncomfortable to equate reading with "challenge".

"Reading is very personal. It should never be about competition or demonstration," he says.

Li, the TV anchor, didn't pass on the challenge to others, because she felt it was rude to compel others to accept it.