Books
佚名/Anonymous
Booksareaguideinyouthandanentertainmentforage.Theysupportusundersolitude,andkeepusfrombeingaburdentoourselves.
——JeremyCollier
Theonlytrueequalizersintheworldarebooks;theonlytreasure-houseopentoallcomersisalibrary.
——Dr.Langford
Perhapsnootherthinghassuchpowertoliftthepooroutofhispoverty,thewretchedoutofhismisery,tomaketheburden-bearerforgethisburden,thesickhissuffering,thesorrowerhisgrief,thedowntroddenhisdegradation,asbooks.Theyarefriendstothelonely,companionstothedeserted,joytothejoyless,hopetothehopeless,goodcheertothedisheartened,ahelpertothehelpless.Theybringlightintodarkness,andsunshineintoshadow.
Wemaybepoor,sociallyostracized,shutoutfromallpersonalassociationwiththegreatandthegood,andyetbeinthebestsocietyintheworld,inbooks.Wemayliveinpalaces,conversewithprinces,befamiliarwithroyalty,andassociatewiththegreatestandnoblestofalltime.
Thetrendofmanyalifeforgoodorill,forsuccessorfailure,hasbeendeterminedbyasinglebook.Thebookswhichwereadearlyinlifearethosewhichinf?luenceusmost.
Weformmanyofouropinionsfromourfavoritebooks.Theauthorwhomwepreferisourmostpotentteacher;welookattheworldthroughhiseyes.Ifwehabituallyreadbooksthatareelevatingintone,pureinstyle,soundinreasoning,andkeenininsight,ourmindsdevelopthesamecharacteristics.If,onthecontrary,wereadweakorviciousbooks,ourmindscontractthefaultsandvicesofthebooks.Wecannotescapetheinf?luenceofwhatwereadanymorethanwecanescapetheinf?luenceoftheairthatwebreathe.
Thebestbooksarethosewhichstirusupmostandmakeusthemostdeterminedtodosomethingandbesomethingourselves.Thebestbooksarethosewhichliftustoahigherplanewherewebreatheapureratmosphere.Asweshouldassociatewithpeoplewhocaninspireustonoblerdeeds,soweshouldonlyreadthosebookswhichhaveanupliftingpower,andwhichstirustomakethemostofourselvesandouropportunities.
Emersonhadthreerulesforreading:neverreadabookthatisnotayearold;neverreadanybutfamousbooks;neverreadabookyoudonotlike.
Librariesarenolongeraluxury,butanecessity.Ahomewithoutbooksandperiodicalsandnewspapersislikeahousewithoutwindows.Childrenlearntoreadbybeinginthemidstofbooks;theyunconsciouslyabsorbknowledgebyhandlingthem,nofamilycannowaffordtobewithoutgoodreading.Furnishyourhousewithbooksratherthanunnecessaryfurniture,orevenpicturesifyoucannotaffordall.Wearthreadbareclothesandpatchedshoesifnecessary,butdonotpinchoreconomizeonbooks.Ifyoucannotgiveyourchildrenanacademiceducationyoucanplacewithintheirreachafewgoodbookswhichwillliftthemabovetheirsurroundings,intorespectabilityandhonor.