Day 259, September 20

I'm back again with more about books.  (For those of you who are weary of hearing about books and reading, you would do well to skip this post.)

I found an excellent article entitled "Reading good, old-fashioned books can still empower society."  The author, a mother of four boys, extolled the virtues of reading, both for herself and for her sons.  Her words immediately resonated within me, for I cannot imagine a world without books, without the joy of reading and learning and traveling to wherever books take me.

She included several quotes that I'd like to share with you:

"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to chosen ignorance."--Confucious

"A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face.  It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy."--Edward P. Morgan

And finally.  "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture.  Just get people to stop reading them."  Ray Bradbury

This I know for sure:  a world without books, without reading, would be a barren wasteland.