The Value of Books
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The Value of Real Knowledge
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Taste Determines the Choice of Books
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The Choice of Books
Bacon’s words
On books, Francis Bacon has said, “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested.” Really books are being respected by man since the day he awakened from his deep slumber of illiteracy. Now books have been written on every subject and in every language. It is an easy medium to convey one’s ideas in a comprehensive way across the world.
For sports, we have sports books and magazines which enable us to keep in touch with different kinds of games. Similarly, we have books and journals on different topics like Science, Religion, Astronomy, Literature, etc.
Invention of paper
It was the invention of paper from the tree pulp which gave birth to books. Since then man has had an undivided relationship with books. Books are not just used to give us knowledge about different subjects in different walks of life.
Study of religious books
The study of religious books awakens a new man in our minds and we try to understand this world in a dispassionate manner. Then we feel inspired to do something remarkable for mankind. Hence these kinds of books make us complete human beings by forging our separate minds into a unified human mind.
Books on science
The books on Science open the secrets of nature. They keep our minds cool by conveying the idea that nature is omnipotent. A man should drop the idea of defeating it by mutilating the natural environment and atmosphere. Otherwise, he will be inviting his own death.
Great scriptures
Through the most respected holy books like the Gita, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Bible, etc. we can understand that honesty and truth pay in the long run. These books join the human mind with that of the Almighty. Hence they are known as the real bridge between man and God.
In recent times we have a plethora of books on computers and other devices which can make it very easy for us to operate such machines. We have books on Zoology, and Botany which can provide us with the necessary knowledge of the living styles of different animals and plants respectively which can be of sizes varying from microscopic to gigantic ones. So, it depends upon one’s taste and what kind of books one wants to study.
Real value of books can be known by removing illiteracy
The real value of books cannot be understood until the widespread illiteracy is changed to a hundred percent literacy through conscious efforts of the state and people. Illiteracy brings nothing but poverty. This slogan is true. The modern times have proved it. A man who does not know anything about his fundamental rights can easily be misguided and it is what is happening in the countries like India and Pakistan, where the percentage of illiteracy is quite high as compared to that in developed countries of the world.
The Indian government has raised the level of education to get a job. A clerical job-seeking person should be a graduate at least. Even in the private sector the promotion of a person is based on the level of his or her education.
For an uneducated person, all doors of progress are closed. It is a different matter if he or she has a great accumulation of wealth or has already been running a business. So, if an uneducated person has no wealth and is unable to run a business house, what should he or she do for his or her own survival and the survival of his or family or his dependents? Clearly, even the survival of an illiterate person is uncertain in the modern world.
Hence, in the modern world, books are essential even for man’s survival. The belief that computers may make the use of books redundant is only fanciful speculation.