---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With exceptions so rare that it is hard…"
description: "\"“With exceptions so rare that it is hard to remember one, textbooks are to books as powdered food supplements are to a good, balanced meal.”\" — Gregory..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg"
---

#  With exceptions so rare that it is hard to remember one…

![“With exceptions so rare that it is hard to remember one, textbooks are to books as powdered food supplements are to a good, balanced meal.” quote by Gregory Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg)

> ““With exceptions so rare that it is hard to remember one, textbooks are to books as powdered food supplements are to a good, balanced meal.””

Gregory Millman

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author argues that textbooks are a poor, nutrient‑deficient substitute for comprehensive, balanced learning, likening them to powdered supplements.

**In simple terms:** Textbooks lack the fullness of a balanced educational diet.

Key Takeaway

Seek diverse, in‑depth learning sources.

Themes

education learning quality comparison nutrition

Mood

critical informative

Type

expository comparative analytical

When to use this quote

- studying for exams
- curriculum design
- teaching methods
- personal development

Key Concepts

analogy critical thinking educational critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What alternatives supplement learning?
- When are textbooks essential?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may oversimplify the value of textbooks.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/)

## Related quotes

> [“The top 5 supplements you must take for good health? Tip #37 reveals the essential nutrients you're likely missing that can all be replaced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-doepker/the-top-5-supplements-you-must-take-for-good-health-tip-37-reveals/)

[Derek Doepker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-doepker/)

> [I spend so much money on food, just getting the food for me is a tremendous expense, so there's no way I could even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-greene/i-spend-so-much-money-on-food-just-getting-the-food-for-me-is-a/)

[Kai Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-greene/)

> [It's better to get the nutrients for healthy skin from food, not supplements. Salmon, walnuts, blueberries, spinach... lots of my favorite foods happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simmons/it-s-better-to-get-the-nutrients-for-healthy-skin-from-food-not/)

[Gail Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simmons/)

> [There's food and supplements that you can take legally that will better your body and help you stay healthy. Shortcuts are something that's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-arrieta/there-s-food-and-supplements-that-you-can-take-legally-that-will/)

[Jake Arrieta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-arrieta/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [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/)

> [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/)

> [At the very beginning, I was a page at Letterman, and I freelanced for any place that would let me write any word. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/at-the-very-beginning-i-was-a-page-at-letterman-and-i-freelanced-for/)

[Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/)

> [If I don't know who I'm writing for, I make it up and pick somebody I'm writing for. That's really the only way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mazin/if-i-don-t-know-who-i-m-writing-for-i-make-it-up-and-pick-somebody-i/)

[Craig Mazin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mazin/)

> [“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/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. Krebs

> [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/)

[Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/)

> [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/)

[Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

## More by Gregory Millman

> [We want our children to become who they are- and a developed person is, above all, free. But freedom as we define it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-millman/we-want-our-children-to-become-who-they-are-and-a-developed-person-is/)

Gregory Millman

Explore all 2 Gregory Millman quotes

## More Books 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/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

Christopher K. 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. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

Markus Herz

> [But editors are still the world's readers. 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": "“With exceptions so rare that it is hard to remember one, textbooks are to books as powdered food supplements are to a good, balanced meal.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gregory Millman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-millman/with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard-to-remember-one-textbooks-are/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-millman/with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard-to-remember-one-textbooks-are/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc9/gregory-millman-101163_books_with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard_1346225.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“With exceptions so rare that it is hard to remember one, textbooks are to books as powdered food supplements…” — Gregory Millman",
                "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": "Gregory Millman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-millman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“With exceptions so rare that it...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-millman/with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard-to-remember-one-textbooks-are/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-millman/with-exceptions-so-rare-that-it-is-hard-to-remember-one-textbooks-are/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
