--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As long as the centuries continue to…" description: "\"As long as the centuries continue to unfold, the number of books will grow continually, and one can predict that a time will come when it will be almos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/denis-diderot-1536_book_as-long-as-the-centuries-continue-to-unf_1891743.png" --- # As long as the centuries continue to unfold, the number of… ![“As long as the centuries continue to unfold, the number of books will grow continually, and one can predict that a time will come when it will be almost as difficult to learn anything from books as from the direct study of the whole universe. It will be almost as convenient to search for some bit…” quote by Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/denis-diderot-1536_book_as-long-as-the-centuries-continue-to-unf_1891743.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/denis-diderot-1536_book_as-long-as-the-centuries-continue-to-unf_1891743.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/489/denis-diderot-1536_book_as-long-as-the-centuries-continue-to-unf_1891743.png) > “As long as the centuries continue to unfold, the number of books will grow continually, and one can predict that a time will come when it will be almost as difficult to learn anything from books as from the direct study of the whole universe. It will be almost as convenient to search for some bit of truth concealed in nature as it will be to find it hidden away in an immense multitude of bound volumes.” [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books multiply faster than our ability to learn from them; direct observation of nature becomes a more efficient source of truth. **In simple terms:** Books increase faster than learning; nature is a better teacher. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge through experience, not just reading. Themes knowledge learning science observation Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - self‑education - scientific inquiry - policy making Key Concepts epistemology information overload empiricism Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance reading with experiential learning? - What methods help filter essential knowledge? A Different Perspective Abundance of books can still be valuable if curated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Grow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-grow-249541/) [Centuries Continue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centuries-continue-2736845/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Centuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-centuries-969305/) [Multitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multitudes/) [Number Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/number-books-272215/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/) [Study Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study-universe-1153400/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Volume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volume/) ## Related quotes > [“The opportunity to glimpse people who'd been born long before her, sometimes centuries before, was one of the rewards of Nora's job. 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He is the owner of a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/the-writer-umberto-eco-belongs-to-that-small-class-of-scholars-who/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [All books grow homilies by time; they are Temples, at once, and Landmarks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/all-books-grow-homilies-by-time-they-are-temples-at-once-and-landmarks/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“Our goal is not to finish a book, or merely to talk about a book, but to use our books to grow Christlike character”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-reinke/our-goal-is-not-to-finish-a-book-or-merely-to-talk-about-a-book-but/) [Tony Reinke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-reinke/) > [The newest books are those that never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-newest-books-are-those-that-never-grow-old/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Let your love for books grow, as your confidence grows too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-osae-kwapong/let-your-love-for-books-grow-as-your-confidence-grows-too/) [Liza Osae-Kwapong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-osae-kwapong/) > [We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/we-are-of-opinion-that-instead-of-letting-books-grow-moldy-behind-an/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [“The best books... The best books of men are soon exhausted-- they are cisterns, and not springing fountains. You enjoy them very much at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/the-best-books-the-best-books-of-men-are-soon-exhausted-they-are/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [“Books should grow the soul - while the reader has a little fun along the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-k-frailey/books-should-grow-the-soul-while-the-reader-has-a-little-fun-along/) [A.K. Frailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-k-frailey/) > [Everything you've learned in school as "obvious" becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there are no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everything-you-ve-learned-in-school-as-obvious-becomes-less-and-less-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I study the universe. It's the second oldest profession. People have been looking up for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-study-the-universe-it-s-the-second-oldest-profession-people-have/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Cosmology is the study of the universe as a whole, including its birth and perhaps its ultimate fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/cosmology-is-the-study-of-the-universe-as-a-whole-including-its-birth/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Everything you've learned in school as "obvious" becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/everything-you-ve-learned-in-school-as-obvious-becomes-less-and-less/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [When I was a kid, I thought that if everyone looked up the way I did then everyone would want to study the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/when-i-was-a-kid-i-thought-that-if-everyone-looked-up-the-way-i-did/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) ## More by Denis Diderot > [But if you will recall the history of our civil troubles, you will see half the nation bathe itself, out of piety, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/but-if-you-will-recall-the-history-of-our-civil-troubles-you-will-see/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [One declaims endlessly against the passions; one imputes all of man's suffering to them. 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Up comes a theologian and blows it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/i-have-only-a-small-flickering-light-to-guide-me-in-the-darkness-of-a/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [The world is the house of the strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/the-world-is-the-house-of-the-strong/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“One swallows the lie that flatters, but sips the bitter truth drop by drop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/one-swallows-the-lie-that-flatters-but-sips-the-bitter-truth-drop-by/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [There is less harm to be suffered in being mad among madmen than in being sane all by oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-less-harm-to-be-suffered-in-being-mad-among-madmen-than-in/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Integrity is the evidence of all civil virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/integrity-is-the-evidence-of-all-civil-virtues/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Watch out for the fellow who talks about putting things in order! Putting things in order always means getting other people under your control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/watch-out-for-the-fellow-who-talks-about-putting-things-in-order/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [“Nie wiem, co to zasady, chyba że tak nazywamy prawidła, które przypisuje się innym, a nie sobie. Myślę tak, a nie umiałbym się powstrzymać…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/nie-wiem-co-to-zasady-chyba-e-tak-nazywamy-prawid-a-kt-re-przypisuje/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [There is no good father who would want to resemble our Heavenly Father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/there-is-no-good-father-who-would-want-to-resemble-our-heavenly-father/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Isn't it better to have men being ungrateful than to miss a chance to do good?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/isn-t-it-better-to-have-men-being-ungrateful-than-to-miss-a-chance-to/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [A nation which thinks that it is belief in God and not good law which makes people honest does not seem to me very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/a-nation-which-thinks-that-it-is-belief-in-god-and-not-good-law-which/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) [Explore all 210 Denis Diderot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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