Reading habits depend not only the readers but also the impact of other developments in society. A number of activities including the recent Old Book Festival held by Alpha Books has stimulated a love for books and promoted the value of older literature. Nguyen Ky is a book worm: “A festival like this is well worth doing in the context of there being so many which can make readers lives difficult knowing what to choose. The festival helped readers learn more about this flourishing period for publishers. Old books also help them understand Vietnamese history”.

More than 10,000 old books were displayed at the festival. Many of them were published in the 1960s and 1970s such as Vietnam History by Tran Trong Kim, Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud, Kieu stories by Nguyen Du, and about the cultures of Ha Nhi and Red Dao ethnic minority groups. On display were also sketches and portraits of President Ho Chi Minh. These old books are precious and invaluable in terms of their age and knowledge and contain important spiritual values. Ky recalls his childhood memories through the old books: “The festival inspires us more with old books that we have forgotten all about. Some old books are unique because they have not been published again. Old books can bring readers new feelings and perceptions. Old books are part of our lives. They are indispensable to old and young readers alike”.

The old book festival inspires the festival-goers love for books, helps widen knowledge and promotes a reading culture amidst the increasing intrusions of the virtual world. Le Van Hop displays his old books at the festival: “I sell hundreds of old books a day. For some people, a book festival ís expected to display new books. Such a festival as this will encourage people to read more. Young people are very interested in reading books, and so are old people. The Vietnamese are passionate about reading and try to find new interesting things in these old books. Books are old but knowledge is not”.

The value of reading is undeniable because books are knowledge and the largest school of all. Renes Descarter, a French philosopher and scientist once said: "The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries."