The book is a collection of the novella Strings of Life and the prose essay In the Temple of Earth, both written by China's contemporary writer Shi Tiesheng. Strings of Life unveils the profound life philosophy and reveals the significance of human survival self-redemption out of plight and fulfilling process aiming at the pointless target. In the Temple of Earth is the writer's eulogy on the mother's love. With the temple of earth as a carrier, the essay expresses a desperate man's seeking of hope, and the remembrance of his mother.
本书收录当代作家史铁生的小说《命若琴弦》和散文《我与地坛》。《命若琴弦》是一篇包孕着深刻人生哲理的小说，揭示了人类生存的意义——处于困境自我救赎，目标虚设过程充盈。《我与地坛》是作家写的一篇围绕母爱的文章。地坛只是一个载体，而文章的本质却是一个绝望的人寻求希望的过程，以及对母亲的思念。