The NY Times sketches the scene at Book City, China’s largest bookstore, and then delves into the madness of the country’s book publishing industry. Private publishing is illegal, however, “culture houses” pay state-owned publishers $1,250 to $2,500 to get the ISBN number necessary for commercial sale of a book. Piracy is rampant and writers get minimal payments. Foreign agents are often appalled by the business practices; one says it is “like playing ice hockey without referees.” But there’s a surprising amount of material available to the general public so at least the government control, or lack thereof, is not limiting the range of available reading.