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Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors.
Carl Sagan
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Books allow us to explore past knowledge and insights.

In this quote, Carl Sagan emphasizes the unique power of books to transport us through time, granting access to the insights and experiences of those who came before us. By reading, we can learn from the wisdom of our ancestors and enrich our understanding of the world.

Themes

BooksWisdomKnowledgeAncestorsEducation

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about the importance of literacy, one might quote Carl Sagan to emphasize how reading enhances our understanding of history.

More from Carl Sagan

Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
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In more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
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How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
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The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
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There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
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The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
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The written word endures, the spoken word disappears
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A little wisdom, now and then

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