The book "Story with Thanh" by author Nguyen Thanh Nam is formed from many layers of experience, which is the experience of a scientist, businessman, teacher, and more deeply, the experience of a Vietnamese citizen when reflecting on national history.
Nguyen Thanh Nam is not a professional historian. He came from a mathematical background, and defended his doctoral thesis in Moscow. He entered the field of technology business with a style of thinking that many people call "reverse flow": Liking to ask questions again, finding a different perspective for seemingly familiar issues.
According to author Nguyen Thanh Nam, the inspiration that led to the birth of "Story with Thanh" partly came from teaching work. Along with colleagues, he designed the subject as a "historical stage", where major events of modern Vietnam are placed in the relationship between characters, forces and international context.
Accordingly, "Story with Thanh" is divided into 5 parts, corresponding to 5 major themes revolving around the thoughts and actions of President Ho Chi Minh. Part 1 - "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom". The author raises the issue of the historical identity of the Vietnamese nation: The aspiration for independence has been nurtured through thousands of years of history and has become a xuyên suốt ideology throughout President Ho Chi Minh's life.
Part 2 - "Touching the Soul", focuses on the period when Nguyen Tat Thanh wandered around the world, exposed to many cultures, many different political movements. According to the author, that vast experience helped Him form a vision beyond the framework of the era.
Part 3 - "If unchangeable, respond to ten thousand changes", analyzes how President Ho Chi Minh defined strategic goals and responded flexibly to complex historical changes, especially in the period before and after the August Revolution of 1945.
Part 4 - "Taking the lead", evokes lessons on strategy and opportunities in the context of war, when Vietnam has to face opponents with much stronger potential.
Part 5 - "Standing shoulder to shoulder with the five continental powers", raises thoughts on the country's development path in peacetime, when President Ho Chi Minh's legacy continues to be interpreted in the context of integration and development.
The special feature of "Story with Thanh" lies in the form of storytelling. Instead of being presented in a chronicle style, the book is built as a dialogue between Thanh - a student who does not really love history - and his teacher. From Thanh's seemingly simple questions, the story gradually expands to major issues of history and society. This approach helps history become closer to readers, especially to the younger generation.
Author Nguyen Thanh Nam also hopes that his book will become a conversation with the younger generation. There, history is not a compulsory lesson to remember, but a treasure trove of experience to be discovered. After each chapter, readers can stop for a few minutes to reflect and compare with their lives.
Story with Thanh" also vividly expresses the enduring vitality of historical stories. Through this book, the image of President Ho Chi Minh not only appears as a character of the past, but also as a source of spiritual inspiration for the country's development journey in the 21st century.
In the context of education seeking new methods to arouse learning interest, especially for subjects that are considered to be rich in theory such as History or Ho Chi Minh Thought, the book "Story with Thanh" attracts attention when it does not follow a one-way knowledge transmission style, the work creates a dialogue space, where readers - especially young people - are placed in the position of questioners, thinkers and self-searchers.
