In ancient China, people recorded events by writing on bamboo or wooden strips. They used boiled leather thongs threaded through little holes made on those strips to bind them together into a book according to a certain order. According to theRecords of the Historian, Confucius（551-479 BC） avidly readThe Book of Changesin his old age. He used the book so often that the leather thongs binding the wooden strips broke three times. Later on, this term is used to describe a person who reads diligently.

In his old age Confucius loved to study The Book of Changes… He used this book so much that the leather thongs binding the wooden strips wore out three times. (Records of the Historian)