Books like friends, should be few and well-chosen.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of selecting quality friends, just as one should select quality books.
Samuel Johnson suggests that, like friendships, the books we choose to engage with should be few in number yet significant in impact. This implies that our time and attention are better spent on a small number of meaningful friendships and books that enrich our lives, rather than being overwhelmed by a multitude of superficial options.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of reading, you could quote this to highlight how valuable friendships are.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
The reason for my starting a diary is that I have no real friend.
No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books.
Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.
...he will be our friend for always and always and always.
I dreamed in a dream, I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth; I dreamed that was the new City of Friends; Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust loveβit led the rest; It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city, And in all their looks and words.
Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me.
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