Evening star., 1924-11-05
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TkACEWELL.

A man sends me the following let
ter. which is self-explanato<y:
II am 30 years old and for a good
many years have done very little
reading. although as a boy I read
most of Dickens all of Mark Twain
and the usual run of boys books.
Now I have quite a bit of time on
my hands and would like to do some
reading along lines that would i'm
prove my mind without being too
much like studying
I'm other words, I am not given
much to reading dry stuff and yet
don't want TO read any modern love
stories L know that you Will see
what I'm trying to get at.
Il have had only a grammar school
education, supplemented by 15-year
course in hard knockology,' and don't
know whence comes this wild desire
for information at this late hour, but
I'm sure there are many books I can
read and enjoy, at the same time
learning something.
81 read and enjoy your articles
regularly-you certainly manage TO
get a great deal out of life.
Some day when you have a spare
moment please jot down the titles of
few good books for me and you'll
save me lots of time and trouble
wading through a mass of junk to
find what I'm after"
4: !: I:
That sounds like . comparatively
easy thing to do, until one actually
gets down to the job then the wealth
of great books tends to enbarrass
one. 1t must be kept in mind that
this reader does not ask for list of
the best books" but simply wants
to do some reading along lines that
will improve his mind without be-
ing too much like studying"
He further conplicateS the matter
by declaring tha he Is not much given
to reading dry stuff" and yet doesn't
want to read any modern love stories
Since he is pleasingly confident, how
ever, that 1 will see what he Is try
ing to get at" there is nothing left
but to do my best.
Therefore, after muoh thought upon
this matter. I have selected the fol-
lowing 10 books for this reader as my
idea OF what best embodies his de-
sires.
The books are:
]. The Bible.
.. Stevenson's "yirginibus Pueris-
que"
3. Whitman's Leaves of Grass"
4. Spencer's Education"
). Dumas The Three Musketeers"
6. Lewis "Babbitt."
Z. Franklin's Autobiography"
S. Dickens The Christmas eerol."
9. Wells "A Short History of the
World"
10. Cranes The Janitor's Boy"
Probably no one reading this list
will agree with me, but that has ever
been the history of selections of this
kind. When Sir John Lubbock made
his list of the hundred best books"
he started a controversy hardly set
tied yet.
All | can say, if your ideas differ
from mine, is to try your own hand at
list for this sincere man who wants
TO improve his mind and yet does not
want to be bored in the process.
1t would be particularly informative,
both to this inquirer and to myself, If
others Interested in books, particu-
larly librarians. would send me their
ideas and comments.
The above list includes great re-
ligious writing, great essays, wonder
full free verse" one of the best and
most fundamental essays on educa-
ton ever written, the liVeliest novel
ever penned, the best picture of mod
ern American civilization, one of the
best written and most Interesting or
autobiographies, the finest Christmas
story, a splendid outline OF world his
tory and a striking example OF the
latest poetry.
1 found it utterly impossible to