--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Given Pounds and five years, and an…" description: "\"Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in the ordinary course, without any undue haste or putting any pressure upon his taste, surround h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png" --- # Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in… ![“Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in the ordinary course, without any undue haste or putting any pressure upon his taste, surround himself with books, all in his own language, and thence forward have at least one place in the world.” quote by Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png) > “Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in the ordinary course, without any undue haste or putting any pressure upon his taste, surround himself with books, all in his own language, and thence forward have at least one place in the world.” [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An ordinary person can, over five years, acquire books in their language and find a place in the world. **In simple terms:** Books in one's language lead to belonging. Key Takeaway Read widely in your language to feel connected. Themes education language belonging personal growth Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal study plans - language courses - reading groups Key Concepts literacy cultural identity self‑development Questions to Reflect On - How does language shape personal identity? - What role do books play in finding one's place? A Different Perspective Access to books may be limited for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Haste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/haste/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Ordinary man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-man/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I think of the self-actualizing man not as an ordinary man with something added, but rather as the ordinary man with nothing taken away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-maslow/i-think-of-the-self-actualizing-man-not-as-an-ordinary-man-with/) [Abraham Maslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-maslow/) > [“I like how you shake Off years of ordinary Cover me with extraordinary Ways of seeing I never saw before But now I do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-crowley/i-like-how-you-shake-off-years-of-ordinary-cover-me-with/) [Cath Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-crowley/) > [“When life is taking its ordinary course, it was hard to remember what really mattered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubinubin/when-life-is-taking-its-ordinary-course-it-was-hard-to-remember-what/) Gretchen Rubinubin > [When things are taking their ordinary course, it is hard to remember what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/when-things-are-taking-their-ordinary-course-it-is-hard-to-remember-2/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/a-man-of-ordinary-talent-will-always-be-ordinary-whether-he-travels-2/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [Man is made of ordinary things, and habit is his nurse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/man-is-made-of-ordinary-things-and-habit-is-his-nurse/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [Things happen in 'If This is a Man' that are beyond ordinary daily experience, but it is still us to whom they are happening,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/things-happen-in-if-this-is-a-man-that-are-beyond-ordinary-daily/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [True art is the intermediary between man's ordinary nature and his higher potentialities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/true-art-is-the-intermediary-between-man-s-ordinary-nature-and-his/) [E. 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Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [“It seems to me if I were young and in love I should never deem a man of ordinary caliber worthy of my devotion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/it-seems-to-me-if-i-were-young-and-in-love-i-should-never-deem-a-man/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [“A man must have a less than ordinary share of sense that would furnish such plain and common rooms with silver-footed couches and purple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/a-man-must-have-a-less-than-ordinary-share-of-sense-that-would/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [I should never deem a man of ordinary caliber worthy of my devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-chopin/i-should-never-deem-a-man-of-ordinary-caliber-worthy-of-my-devotion/) [Kate Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-chopin/) > [A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent (which I cannot deny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/a-man-of-ordinary-talent-will-always-be-ordinary-whether-he-travels/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [“No man is ordinary, only their performances are ordinary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/no-man-is-ordinary-only-their-performances-are-ordinary/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I never have known a man of ordinary common-sense who did not urge upon his sons, from earliest childhood, doctrines of economy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-graham-sumner/i-never-have-known-a-man-of-ordinary-common-sense-who-did-not-urge/) [William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-graham-sumner/) > [“An ordinary man can...surround himself with two thousand books...and thenceforward have at least one place in the world in which is is possible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/an-ordinary-man-can-surround-himself-with-two-thousand-books-and/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) ## More by Augustine Birrell > [Poetry should be vital--either stirring our blood by its divine movements or snatching our breath by its divine perfection. To do both is supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/poetry-should-be-vital-either-stirring-our-blood-by-its-divine/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [It can never be wrong to give pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/it-can-never-be-wrong-to-give-pleasure/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [A poet's soul must contain the perfect shape of all things good, wise and just. His body must be spotless and without blemish, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/a-poet-s-soul-must-contain-the-perfect-shape-of-all-things-good-wise/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [A conventional good read is usually a bad read, a relaxing bath in what we know already. 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Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. 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And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in the ordinary course, without any undue haste or putting any pressure upon his taste, surround himself with books, all in his own language, and thence forward have at least one place in the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Augustine Birrell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordinary-man-can-in-the-ordinary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordinary-man-can-in-the-ordinary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05c/augustine-birrell-22545_books_given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordin_2065586.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Given Pounds and five years, and an ordinary man can in the ordinary course, without any undue haste or…” — Augustine Birrell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Augustine Birrell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Given Pounds and five years, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordinary-man-can-in-the-ordinary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/given-pounds-and-five-years-and-an-ordinary-man-can-in-the-ordinary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```