A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.
James Freeman ClarkeRead
When I consider what some books have done for the world, and what they are doing, how they keep up our hope, awaken new courage and faith, soothe pain, give an ideal life those whose hours are cold and hard, bind together distant ages and foreign lands, create new worlds of beauty, bring down truth from heaven; I give eternal blessings for this gift, and thank God for books.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books profoundly impact lives, offering hope, courage, and a connection across time and place.
In this quote, James Freeman Clarke expresses the transformative power of books, highlighting their ability to inspire hope, awaken courage, and provide comfort during difficult times. He celebrates books as a vital gift that connects different eras and cultures, creating a beautiful world of imagination and truth that enriches human experience.
Themes
BooksHopeCourageWisdomEducation
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club meeting, I would quote this to highlight the importance of literature.
More from James Freeman Clarke
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I kept listening, kept going to see people, kept sitting in with people, kept listening to records. If I wanted to learn somebody's stuff, like with Clapton, when I wanted to learn how he was getting some of his sounds - which were real neat - I learned how to make the sounds with my mouth and then copied that with my guitar.
Stevie Ray VaughanRead
The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.
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The old adage about giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish has been updated by a reader: Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries! Moreover, some politician who wants his vote will declare all these things to be among his 'basic rights.'
Thomas SowellRead
If your writing doesn`t keep you up at night, it won`t keep anyone else up either".
James M. CainRead
Schools connect children to their communities. Jobs connect adults to their societies. Persons with autism deserve to walk the same path.
Ban Ki-MoonRead
The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read deeply changed the very structure of that circuit's connections, which rewired the brain, which transformed the nature of human thought.
Maryanne WolfRead