--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I certainly think that the best book in…" description: "\"I certainly think that the best book in the world would owe the most to a good index, and the worst book, if it had but a single good thought in it, mi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg" --- # I certainly think that the best book in the world would… ![“I certainly think that the best book in the world would owe the most to a good index, and the worst book, if it had but a single good thought in it, might be kept alive by it.” quote by Horace Binney Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg) > “I certainly think that the best book in the world would owe the most to a good index, and the worst book, if it had but a single good thought in it, might be kept alive by it.” Horace Binney Wallace ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A well‑structured index or a single powerful idea can sustain a book’s relevance, while poor structure diminishes it. **In simple terms:** Indexes or strong ideas keep books alive. Key Takeaway Focus on clear organization and core ideas. Themes literature structure ideas clarity Mood analytical thoughtful Type literary educational When to use this quote - writing - editing - publishing - academic research Key Concepts information science literary criticism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How does an index shape reader understanding? - What makes an idea “good” enough to sustain a work? A Different Perspective Relying solely on a single idea may oversimplify complex works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thought/) [Good thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thoughts/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Well, the world has a million writers. One would think, then, that good thought would be as familiar as air and water, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/well-the-world-has-a-million-writers-one-would-think-then-that-good/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grenville-kleiser/every-good-thought-you-think-is-contributing-its-share-to-the/) [Grenville Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grenville-kleiser/) > [“Don't let bad thoughts deceive you into thinking that you have to feel bad. Be aware and conscious of it and choose to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osayi-osar-emokpae/don-t-let-bad-thoughts-deceive-you-into-thinking-that-you-have-to/) [Osayi Osar-Emokpae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osayi-osar-emokpae/) > [God is glorified, not by our groans, but our thanksgivings; and all good thought and good action claim a natural alliance with good cheer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-percy-whipple/god-is-glorified-not-by-our-groans-but-our-thanksgivings-and-all-good/) [Edwin Percy Whipple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-percy-whipple/) > [If we both exchange one dollar, we have one dollar each. 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The evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peace-pilgrim/every-good-that-you-do-every-good-that-you-say-every-good-thought-you/) [Peace Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peace-pilgrim/) > [A good thought is indeed a great boon, for which God is to be first thanked; next he who is the first to utter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/a-good-thought-is-indeed-a-great-boon-for-which-god-is-to-be-first/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [I told them that anything they do for their brothers and sisters is good if they do it with a good thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/i-told-them-that-anything-they-do-for-their-brothers-and-sisters-is/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [“He thought he kept the universe alone; For all the voice in answer he could wake Was but the mocking echo of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/he-thought-he-kept-the-universe-alone-for-all-the-voice-in-answer-he/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [“The thought I kept hearing in my head was "Go for a little while just for a break. 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"That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I certainly think that the best book in the world would owe the most to a good index, and the worst book, if it had but a single good thought in it, might be kept alive by it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Horace Binney Wallace" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-binney-wallace/i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in-the-world-would-owe-the-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-binney-wallace/i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in-the-world-would-owe-the-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/horace-binney-wallace-77648_alive_i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in_1145012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I certainly think that the best book in the world would owe the most to a good index, and the worst book, if…” — Horace Binney Wallace", "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": "Horace Binney Wallace", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-binney-wallace/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I certainly think that the best...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-binney-wallace/i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in-the-world-would-owe-the-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-binney-wallace/i-certainly-think-that-the-best-book-in-the-world-would-owe-the-most/#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 } } ] } ```