The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1920-04-28
Books--Most Wonderful Things in World
Become Acquainted Thru Them With the Greatest Think
ers and Know the Heritage You Possess.


akin to clerical, perhaps because the
clerics We're the only clerks in the sense
OF scholars. The warriors of the Mid
,Ilc Ages rather scorned this effeminate
art. They Were too busy making his
tory. to read it.
This parchment upon which books
were written was so dear that it was
used again and again. They erased
one writing to inscribe another, in this
way destroying many ancient classical
manuscripts of priceless value, which,
however. in many cases, have been de
ciphered and restored
The invention of printing with NOV
able types by Gutenberg in 1l5O rcvo-
lutioniZed book making. and much else
beside. Books, rs we understand
them, now first appeared. You will
notice the date when printing began,
1iJO, the time of the, revival of learn
ing. when the Turks. conuuering Con-
stantinOple. drove the Greek scholars
of the Byzantine Empire ont of that
ancient center of culture. and scat
ttItl tniu 'ht N'h7
tinent of Europe. This revival of lea1n-
ing made popular and general hy the
invention of printing. directly preceded
the Protestant Reformation. Indeed.
one can almost say .l,at the invention
of printing. by the enlightenment that
it dffused and the general education
that it made possible and by the fact
that for the first time the Bible could
be placed in every ,naE's hands IN
read and interpret for himself all this
brought about the first great stride nf
the human spirit towards emancipa-
ton: the first notable expression of
religious liberty-thc Protestant Re-
formation. 1t made knowledge gem
eral. 1t brought about eventually
political liberty: for enlightenment
stabbed tyranny to death. The peo-
pie, being immortal. Are Irresistible
when fully taught and wisely led. The
prinfer. In a-frIia and L,l,ep- sense of
the word, was the libernrnr.
This power is lodged in the use of
type. covered with ink, because it
makes books that contain the past and
communicate the great thoughts of the
present-boois. that are not so much
things as almost living creatures, vcs-
sells that contain the active mind, the
conscience in action. perpetuity of in
fluence.
What functions then are served by
books? A thrcc-fold function-to en-
tcrtain. as in song. fiction. works of
Imagination: to instruct, ns in history.
science. philosophy and all branches of
knowledge; ana TO influence thru grent
poetry, epoch making books. dynamic
literature. that does not simply give
pleasure or awaken thought. but stirs
deeply and moves to action.
There are many books that simply
entertain. We have human entertain
crs. and literary entertainers.
"a little nonsense now and then.
Is relished by the wiscst men,"
But let 1t Mt least he clever non
sense The great Goethe said. Moth
ing is more significant Of the char-
acter of man than. what he finds
Iaughable" His recrcations, in litera
ture as in life, are distinctive of him.
A multitude of books belong under
this head. for it includes novels, thar
wonderful creation, that elaboration
of the story-teller's art. that delights
and reveals. too: develops imagina-
ton: unveils the past: Nhroofs every
home: makes the walls of the human
breast transparent. And If we read
the modern novel. which is really
practical psychology, portrait-paintinS.
the fiction that is the strangest form
of truth. let us at least seek and read
the best. Let us not wade thru the
wearisome pages of montoonous
n.ediocrity; but by choosing genuine
merit encourage and multiply it.
The second great object of reading
is instruction. Have you no time 10
improve your mind thus? Are you
too busy: and after working. are you
too tired? Haven't you perhaps half
an hour day, or even fifteen minutes
in which to read ten pages? If you
read ten pages day. you can finish
one average book each month: twelve
books thus in Il year.
Now Tennyson said that in his judg-
ment there were six books best worth
reading: Chaucer, Shakespeare. Mil
ton. Wordsworth. Dante and Goethe.
You could read them all in n year. st.
Thomas Aquinas said that to thoroiy
master even one book was to acquire
wisdom.
Have you no time? Take it from