--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Surely it is better, thought Domenica…" description: "\"“Surely it is better, thought Domenica, that forty-five should buy the book and actually read it, than should many thousands, indeed millions, buy it a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/alexander-mccall-smith-372_book_surely-it-is-better-thought-domenica-tha_541888.jpg" --- # Surely it is better, thought Domenica, that forty-five… ![“Surely it is better, thought Domenica, that forty-five should buy the book and actually read it, than should many thousands, indeed millions, buy it and put it on their shelves, like...Professor Hawking's Brief History of Time. That was a book that had been bought by millions, but had been…” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/alexander-mccall-smith-372_book_surely-it-is-better-thought-domenica-tha_541888.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/alexander-mccall-smith-372_book_surely-it-is-better-thought-domenica-tha_541888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/335/alexander-mccall-smith-372_book_surely-it-is-better-thought-domenica-tha_541888.jpg) > ““Surely it is better, thought Domenica, that forty-five should buy the book and actually read it, than should many thousands, indeed millions, buy it and put it on their shelves, like...Professor Hawking's Brief History of Time. That was a book that had been bought by millions, but had been demonstrated to have been read by only a minute proportion of those who had acquired it. For do we not all have a copy of that on our shelves, and who amongst us can claim to have read beyond the first page, in spite of the pellucid prose of its author and his evident desire to share with us his knowledge of...of whatever it is that the book is about?”” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Many people acquire books but rarely read them, valuing ownership over engagement with ideas. **In simple terms:** People often buy books but never read them. Key Takeaway Read what you own. Themes reading knowledge consumerism Mood reflective critical Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - education - library habits - book clubs Key Concepts literacy attention value Questions to Reflect On - Why do we keep books unread? - How can we encourage deeper reading? A Different Perspective Ownership does not guarantee understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-bought-793145/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Hawking Brief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hawking-brief-4528703/) [Professor Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professor-hawking-1147915/) [Read Thousands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-thousands-2378032/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Thought Domenica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-domenica-4528702/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Professor Hawking is heralded as 'the genius of Britain,' yet he believes in the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything and that life sprang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-cameron/professor-hawking-is-heralded-as-the-genius-of-britain-yet-he/) [Kirk Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-cameron/) > [It is one of the misfortunes in life that one must read thousands of books only to discover that one need not have read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-quincey/it-is-one-of-the-misfortunes-in-life-that-one-must-read-thousands-of/) [Thomas de Quincey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-quincey/) > [Yes, yes; you’ve read thousands of books but you’ve never tried to read your own self; you rush into your temples, into your mosques,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bulleh-shah/yes-yes-you-ve-read-thousands-of-books-but-you-ve-never-tried-to-read/) [Bulleh Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bulleh-shah/) > [“Technically, you cannot really own a book you bought; you can only own the sheets of paper your copy is printed on; unless, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/technically-you-cannot-really-own-a-book-you-bought-you-can-only-own/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The first book I bought was 'Anne of Green Gables,' an edition that is beautiful and complete - one I hope to read with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/the-first-book-i-bought-was-anne-of-green-gables-an-edition-that-is/) [J. 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It's as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-then-the-second-thing-you-have-to-do-is-go-and-see-your-son-that/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Because laughs never die away entirely,” said Jamie. “At least, if you believe in Marconi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/because-laughs-never-die-away-entirely-said-jamie-at-least-if-you/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“The trouble with having a conscience, she said to herself, is that it never sleeps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/the-trouble-with-having-a-conscience-she-said-to-herself-is-that-it/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“And if there's bad behaviour," Mma Potokwane went on. 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That was a book that had been bought by millions, but had been demonstrated to have been read by only a minute proportion of those who had acquired it. 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