--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a…" description: "\"I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had the pleasure of reading much of what has been written about him from his lifetime to this yea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/fred-kaplan-18752_advice_i-m-not-a-lincoln-expert-rather-a-biogra_226734.jpg" --- # I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had… ![“I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had the pleasure of reading much of what has been written about him from his lifetime to this year of his bicentennial. Some advice: Don't try that unless you have at least five years available.” quote by Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/fred-kaplan-18752_advice_i-m-not-a-lincoln-expert-rather-a-biogra_226734.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/fred-kaplan-18752_advice_i-m-not-a-lincoln-expert-rather-a-biogra_226734.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05f/fred-kaplan-18752_advice_i-m-not-a-lincoln-expert-rather-a-biogra_226734.jpg) > “I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had the pleasure of reading much of what has been written about him from his lifetime to this year of his bicentennial. Some advice: Don't try that unless you have at least five years available.” [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing a comprehensive biography requires extensive time and dedication, often a decade or more. **In simple terms:** Biographies need many years of research. Key Takeaway Allocate ample time for deep research. Themes research dedication history writing Mood reflective serious Type informative analytical When to use this quote - academic projects - personal memoirs - documentary scripts Key Concepts biography historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - How much time do you realistically have for a project? - What aspects can be prioritized? A Different Perspective Limited time can compromise depth and accuracy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Expert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expert/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Pleasure of reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-of-reading/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) ## Related quotes > ['Colonel Roosevelt' is compelling reading, and Morris a brilliant biographer who practices his art at the highest level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/colonel-roosevelt-is-compelling-reading-and-morris-a-brilliant/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [In our land of opportunities and distractions, it's hard to devote our attention to the quiet pleasures of reading. It's as if we live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-leveen/in-our-land-of-opportunities-and-distractions-it-s-hard-to-devote-our/) [Steve Leveen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-leveen/) > [Real myths are often strange and startlingly unfamiliar, and don't always give up their meanings easily; you have to tease them out, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hand/real-myths-are-often-strange-and-startlingly-unfamiliar-and-don-t/) [Elizabeth Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hand/) > [You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/you-must-find-time-for-reading-or-surrender-yourself-to-self-chosen/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [One of the pleasures of reading old letters is the knowledge that they need no answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/one-of-the-pleasures-of-reading-old-letters-is-the-knowledge-that/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [The habit of reading is the only one I know in which there is no alloy. It lasts when all other pleasures fade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/the-habit-of-reading-is-the-only-one-i-know-in-which-there-is-no/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [This is not about money or anything other than the pleasure of reading for people who want to read it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/this-is-not-about-money-or-anything-other-than-the-pleasure-of/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [We do not read in order to turn great works of fiction into simplistic replicas of our own realities, we read for the pure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/we-do-not-read-in-order-to-turn-great-works-of-fiction-into/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [I had never known the pleasure of reading, of exploring the recesses of the soul, of letting myself be carried away by imagination, beauty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/i-had-never-known-the-pleasure-of-reading-of-exploring-the-recesses/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Expand the definition of 'reading' to include non-fiction, humor, graphic novels, magazines, action adventure, and, yes, even websites. It's the pleasure of reading that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/expand-the-definition-of-reading-to-include-non-fiction-humor-graphic/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [“As with any great literature, there are probably as many ways to read William Faulkner’s writing as there are readers. There are hundreds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/as-with-any-great-literature-there-are-probably-as-many-ways-to-read/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [One of the pleasures of reading is seeing this alteration on the pages, and the way, by reading it, you have made the book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/one-of-the-pleasures-of-reading-is-seeing-this-alteration-on-the/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [“Since I have become a slave of writing, the pleasure of reading has ended for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/since-i-have-become-a-slave-of-writing-the-pleasure-of-reading-has/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [The greatest pleasure of reading consists in re-reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-lee/the-greatest-pleasure-of-reading-consists-in-re-reading/) [Vernon Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-lee/) > [The pleasures of writing correspond exactly to the pleasures of reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-pleasures-of-writing-correspond-exactly-to-the-pleasures-of/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) ## More by Fred Kaplan > [Serious biographies need to have a historical base in facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/serious-biographies-need-to-have-a-historical-base-in-facts/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [To give credit to Lincoln for moral progression seems beyond the facts and unnecessary for our appreciation of this arguably greatest of all American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/to-give-credit-to-lincoln-for-moral-progression-seems-beyond-the/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Myth and mythology often serve constructive and aspirational purposes. But they also do harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/myth-and-mythology-often-serve-constructive-and-aspirational-purposes/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned out I loved writing biographies and had a talent for it. I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/i-first-wrote-a-biography-of-thomas-carlyle-and-it-turned-out-i-loved/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [“The New START accord cuts the strategic nuclear arsenals on each side to 1,550 warheads. Can any of its critics make a case that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/the-new-start-accord-cuts-the-strategic-nuclear-arsenals-on-each-side/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Is there really any relationship between artists' personal conduct and their art? Certainly not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/is-there-really-any-relationship-between-artists-personal-conduct-and/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Words about Lincoln fill a small but ever-growing library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/words-about-lincoln-fill-a-small-but-ever-growing-library/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Gore Vidal was a man of immense literary talent, some of which he used well, some of which he wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/gore-vidal-was-a-man-of-immense-literary-talent-some-of-which-he-used/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [“He had entered another imaginative world, one connected to the beginning of his life as a writer, to the Napoleonic world that had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/he-had-entered-another-imaginative-world-one-connected-to-the/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Obama is a very fine writer with an excellent command of language. His memoir 'Dreams From My Father' is a fine book, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/obama-is-a-very-fine-writer-with-an-excellent-command-of-language-his/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [ “As became a young sinner, Sam \[Mark Twain\] had a special interest in Satan. He asked his Sunday school teacher questions about Eve in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/as-became-a-young-sinner-sam-mark-twain-had-a-special-interest-in/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > ['Colonel Roosevelt' is compelling reading, and Morris a brilliant biographer who practices his art at the highest level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/colonel-roosevelt-is-compelling-reading-and-morris-a-brilliant/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Can a great artist be mean-spirited, grasping, harsh to his family, violent in his emotions, vindictive in his hatreds, an all-purpose scoundrel? If our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/can-a-great-artist-be-mean-spirited-grasping-harsh-to-his-family/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [I want to contribute to the culture and keep great writers alive by telling the stories of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/i-want-to-contribute-to-the-culture-and-keep-great-writers-alive-by/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [The value of Eric Foner's 'The Fiery Trial' lies in its comprehensive review of mostly familiar material; in its sensible evaluation of the full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/the-value-of-eric-foner-s-the-fiery-trial-lies-in-its-comprehensive/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) [Explore all 34 Fred Kaplan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) ## More Advice quotes > [The sensible person is always serious about sensible advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/the-sensible-person-is-always-serious-about-sensible-advice/) Mak\_786 > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Don't get too attached to someone you know you can't be together with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-get-too-attached-to-someone-you-know-you-can-t-be-together-with/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [A low-minded person should not be given good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanakya/a-low-minded-person-should-not-be-given-good-advice/) [Chanakya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanakya/) > [The worst advice? 'Don't listen to the critics.' I think that you really ought to listen to the critics, because sometimes they're telling you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-worst-advice-don-t-listen-to-the-critics-i-think-that-you-really/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The best way to succeed in this world is to act on the advice you give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-best-way-to-succeed-in-this-world-is-to-act-on-the-advice-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Time is priceless. You have it, but you don't own it. You spend it, but you can't keep it. And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aprilynne-pike/if-your-clothes-are-enough-to-drive-would-be-friends-away-they-re-not/) [Aprilynne Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aprilynne-pike/) > [“My kingdom not for a horse, but for a good piece of advice!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/my-kingdom-not-for-a-horse-but-for-a-good-piece-of-advice/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [My relationship with Ibrahimovic was completely neutral. He is not the type of player to approach the younger players and give them advice. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-coman/my-relationship-with-ibrahimovic-was-completely-neutral-he-is-not-the/) [Kingsley Coman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-coman/) [Browse all 8,535 Advice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had the pleasure of reading much of what has been written about him from his lifetime to this year of his bicentennial. 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