Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Roundtable.
You're listening to Roundtable.
I'm Neil Honglin, joined by Steve and Yishun.
Coming up soon.
World Book Day falls on April 23rd, and here in China, it is a week-long reading celebration.
Roundtable shares that spirit, so we 're spending the week as well with five renowned Chinese writers,
each sharing a book that they 'd like to recommend to our dear listeners.
And a new survey shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans now see engagement rings as a financial burden.
At the same time, millions are still spending thousands,
mostly to meet expectations shaped by tradition, social media, and decades of marketing, not entirely themselves.
So do you think it's an iconic symbol of commitment or an unnecessary financial burden of modern relationships?
Let's talk about it.
But before that.
In a world of short videos and endless scrolling,
reading has become almost intentional, a choice that you make rather than a habit you fall into,
which is what makes moments like World Book Day feel a little different now,
not just a celebration of literature, but a reminder of attention,
of what it means to stay with a story, to follow someone else's thoughts all the way through.
Voices of writers themselves.