Books guiding officials on corruption needed

In response to the nation's endeavor to fight corruption and build a more transparent government, books guiding government officials are needed in China, an expert said.

"We should work with ambitions. A leader without this quality is horrible and will most likely be very irresponsible. It is a disaster for the whole country."

This is quoted from Serve the Public, Be Pragmatic, and Free from Corruption, a book that contains 60 lessons advising government officials on how to better their professionalism. It was released at a news conference on Friday in Beijing.

The book author, Zhou Wenzhang, is an associate dean of the Chinese Academy of Governance, an institute in Beijing focusing on training top government officials.

Zhou, also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said he was inspired to write the book while lecturing at the Chinese Academy of Governance. Every time a training course came to an end, he summarized his lesson into a sentence, giving his audiences one last reminder before they leave for work as civil servants.

"Readers can benefit from the anecdotes in the book, and the language is very down to earth," said Yao Wentan, editor-in-chief of China Publishing Group Digital Media Co, who was one of the invited guests at the news conference.

The book is published by Fangzheng Press and sells at 39.8 yuan ($6.50).