p. 12 | TOO MANY BOOKS by Louis H. Christian

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 11, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 43, No. 27.

TOO MANY BOOKS

By Louis H. Christian

Solomon, the wisest of men, wrote one little eight-page book, a love song, in his youth; and near the close of his career, he wrote a small treatise of divine philosophy on human life and destiny, the Ecclesiastes. Now and then, as the years passed by, he jotted down a thought or two, which thoughts were gathered into a book called Proverbs. This was the extent of his writings, so far as we know. Some of his fellow men evidently were not so modest. He found their many volumes “a weariness of the flesh,” and he exclaims, “Of making many books—there is no end.” What would he have said if he had lived to-day, with our pyramids — or should we say mountains? — of books?

Little brains make large books, and young authors write books that quickly grow old. We do not complain if a book contains two or three or even one good, well developed idea. What we object to is a book that consists of nothing but Russian leather, glue, wood pulp, and printer’s ink. Of course, we believe in the freedom of the press; but we only wish some good genius would soon discover a serum to cure author’s itch.

It is often said that parents should buy more books for their children. This is true; yet we think there is more need of parents’ teaching their children to read thoroughly and slowly one good book at a time, and also to reread a few of the same books a year or two later. One noted educator has said that people of our day have lost the art of reading to others. Perhaps so; but have not many more lost the faculty of thinking for themselves, on what they read? The twentieth century mind needs fewer books, slower reading, and more thinking.

L. H. CHRISTIAN.