BOOKS

Two things I love in life : reading and writing. And when I say reading, I certainly mean books. I have been privileged in life having had access to several most interesting books. And I developed the habit of collecting all the wise words I discovered in them.

It was not my idea of mentioning it here and now, but since it crossed my mind, May as well say it: I am right now looking for a publisher who will take care of this book I started writing sixty years ago. Yes 60 years! The book has to do with the number 7 which fascinated me since the age of 17-18. I had written over 300 pages and five years ago, I met at my gym club a new member who showed an interest for what I wrote. He proposed to help me finish it. Furthermore for the last five years we have been meeting once a week and finished it a month ago.

 

I will stop here as this was not my intention. Let’s go back to books. How shocked was I when reading Marcus Aurelius Meditations who warned me :”And give up your thirst for books, so that you do not die a grouch…Quit your books- no more harkening: this is not your gift”. What am I to make of this?

I know of a Jewish saying: “A book gives knowledge but it is life that gives understanding “. And under most of my knowledge comes from books , the rest from people who certainly learnt from books. Every one heard of Plato , but many forgot that he said:” Books give a soul to to the universe, wings to the mind , flight to the imagination, and life to everything”.

One of my favorite author Umberto Eco had a magic word when it came to books. He said:” The book is like the spoon, scissors, the hammer, the wheel. Once invented, it cannot be improved”.
I can go on finding more quotations to give more credit to my title. My intention is simply sharing with the reader what I discovered if he or she didn’t have that chance.

I read somewhere that » books are the best social medicine » and I wonder how can someone arrive at such a statement . Unless such person was sick for a long time and spent time reading a lot that got her or him feeling better. Curiously I witnessed a similar case when in an interview  the guest was convinced  that reading is one of the best ways to combat violence.  

Talking about violence reminds me of this very kind word by Malala Youssafzai, that young Afghanistan girl who succeeded convincing the world to take care of her problem. 
She said:” Extremists have shown what frightens them most: a girl with a book”.

At least two people o pared themselves to a book: Emile Zola said: “We're like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority only read the introduction, many people believe the reviews. Few will know our contents. As for Montaigne, here is what he said:”I am myself, "the material of my book".

I always believed the book to be a source of knowledge and pleasure. . Everyone knows that Judaism is the religion of the Book. 
This  can also be said of Christianity and Islam but not with the same relevance. Judaism is the only religion for which the first duty of parents is to teach their children to read. The Bible is there, waiting for them, defining them. 

Extremists have shown what frightens them most: a girl with a book.
… Malala Youssafzai

Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh...Ecclesiastes 12:12 קוהלת