--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can only think that the book is read…" description: "\"I can only think that the book is read because it deals with the difficulties of schooling, which do not change. Please note: the difficulties, not the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/jacques-barzun-3251_acquire_i-can-only-think-that-the-book-is-read-b_664949.png" --- # I can only think that the book is read because it deals… ![“I can only think that the book is read because it deals with the difficulties of schooling, which do not change. Please note: the difficulties, not the problems. Problems are solved or disappear with the revolving times. Difficulities remain. It will always be difficult to teach well, to learn…” quote by Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/jacques-barzun-3251_acquire_i-can-only-think-that-the-book-is-read-b_664949.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/jacques-barzun-3251_acquire_i-can-only-think-that-the-book-is-read-b_664949.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/449/jacques-barzun-3251_acquire_i-can-only-think-that-the-book-is-read-b_664949.png) > “I can only think that the book is read because it deals with the difficulties of schooling, which do not change. Please note: the difficulties, not the problems. Problems are solved or disappear with the revolving times. Difficulities remain. It will always be difficult to teach well, to learn accurately; to read, write, and count readily and competently; to acquire a sense of history and start one's education or anothers.” [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education faces persistent challenges in teaching fundamentals, despite changing times; core difficulties remain. **In simple terms:** Teaching basics stay hard despite changes. Key Takeaway Focus on strengthening foundational skills in education. Themes education teaching learning Mood analytical concerned Type academic reflective When to use this quote - classroom instruction - teacher training - policy reform - parent‑teacher meetings Key Concepts pedagogy curriculum development Questions to Reflect On - What core skills need reinforcement? - How can we adapt teaching to modern contexts? A Different Perspective Addressing fundamentals alone may not solve systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Computer language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-language/) [Computer programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-programming/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Programming languages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming-languages/) [Schooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schooling/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“It is hard to teach an old dog to sit, as well as it is difficult to teach an old Laplandian rafter to swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arto-paasilinna/it-is-hard-to-teach-an-old-dog-to-sit-as-well-as-it-is-difficult-to/) [Arto Paasilinna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arto-paasilinna/) > [“Nothing You Encounter in Life is Too Difficult - It's There to Teach you a Lesson Fred Cheshire, "There's Nothing I Can't Do -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-cheshire/nothing-you-encounter-in-life-is-too-difficult-it-s-there-to-teach/) Mariam Cheshire > [“It is very difficult to teach navigation theory to someone who clings to the shore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bly/it-is-very-difficult-to-teach-navigation-theory-to-someone-who-clings/) [Carol Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bly/) > [Whenever a text-book is written of real educational worth, you may be quite certain that some reviewer will say that it will be difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/whenever-a-text-book-is-written-of-real-educational-worth-you-may-be/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [“It's difficult to teach how to write novels, but teaching swimming is just as hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-s-difficult-to-teach-how-to-write-novels-but-teaching-swimming-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [As commentators like the American psychologist Gary Marcus have noted, it's extremely difficult to teach a computer to recognise cats. And that's not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-chatfield/as-commentators-like-the-american-psychologist-gary-marcus-have-noted/) [Tom Chatfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-chatfield/) > [It's all complete instinct and intuition, and that's extremely difficult to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/it-s-all-complete-instinct-and-intuition-and-that-s-extremely/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Until a teacher learns to use elements like time, space, materials, groupings, and so forth flexibly, it's incredibly difficult to teach students as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ann-tomlinson/until-a-teacher-learns-to-use-elements-like-time-space-materials/) [Carol Ann Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ann-tomlinson/) > [The sole justification of teaching, of the school itself, is that the student comes out of it able to do something he could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-sole-justification-of-teaching-of-the-school-itself-is-that-the/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [The truth is, when all is said and done, one does not teach a subject, one teaches a student how to learn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-truth-is-when-all-is-said-and-done-one-does-not-teach-a-subject/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Bin Laden was constantly revolving in his mind the fact that he had got rid of the Russians; therefore, the Americans can be got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/bin-laden-was-constantly-revolving-in-his-mind-the-fact-that-he-had/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [A heart isn't some revolving door where a bunch of people can go in and out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheon-eunbi/a-heart-isn-t-some-revolving-door-where-a-bunch-of-people-can-go-in/) [Cheon Eunbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheon-eunbi/) > [The word revolution itself has become not only a dead relic of Leftism, but a key to the deadendedness of male politics: the revolution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-word-revolution-itself-has-become-not-only-a-dead-relic-of/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [A lot of gay men have a lot of sex. That's what we do. But I've stopped all that-the revolving door into my bedroom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-clary/a-lot-of-gay-men-have-a-lot-of-sex-that-s-what-we-do-but-i-ve-stopped/) [Julian Clary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-clary/) > [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) ## More by Jacques Barzun > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [It seems a long time since the morning mail could be called correspondence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/it-seems-a-long-time-since-the-morning-mail-could-be-called/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/teaching-is-not-a-lost-art-but-the-regard-for-it-is-a-lost-tradition/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [The reason why research is like sculpting from memory is that in neither is there a concrete visible subject to copy directly. 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But as soon as somebody or something stands out as Excellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/everybody-keeps-calling-for-excellence-excellence-not-just-in/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Bernard Shaw remains the only model we have of what the citizen of a democracy should be: an informed participant in all things we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/bernard-shaw-remains-the-only-model-we-have-of-what-the-citizen-of-a/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [The ascetic is often a sensualist who has reached the limit of his capacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-ascetic-is-often-a-sensualist-who-has-reached-the-limit-of-his/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Idealism springs from deep feelings, but feelings are nothing without the formulated idea that keeps them whole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/idealism-springs-from-deep-feelings-but-feelings-are-nothing-without/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/in-teaching-you-cannot-see-the-fruit-of-a-day-s-work-it-is-invisible/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [The mind tends to run along the groove of one's intention and overlook the actual expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-mind-tends-to-run-along-the-groove-of-one-s-intention-and/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Vanity is a static thing. It puts it faith in what it has, and is easily wounded. 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