--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: no subject of study is more important…" description: "\"no subject of study is more important than reading…all other intellectual powers depend on it.\" — Jacques Barzun" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/679/jacques-barzun-3251_education_no-subject-of-study-is-more-important-th_2461371.png" --- # no subject of study is more important than reading…all… ![“no subject of study is more important than reading…all other intellectual powers depend on it.” quote by Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/679/jacques-barzun-3251_education_no-subject-of-study-is-more-important-th_2461371.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/679/jacques-barzun-3251_education_no-subject-of-study-is-more-important-th_2461371.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/679/jacques-barzun-3251_education_no-subject-of-study-is-more-important-th_2461371.png) > “no subject of study is more important than reading…all other intellectual powers depend on it.” [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. Reading is foundational; all other mental abilities develop from it. **In simple terms:** Reading underpins all thinking. Key Takeaway Prioritize reading. Themes education learning intellectual development Mood reflective inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - self‑study - professional development - parental guidance Key Concepts cognitive foundations literacy knowledge acquisition Questions to Reflect On - How does reading shape your thinking? - What reading habit could you improve? A Different Perspective If reading is neglected, other skills may stagnate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-reading-260910/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-powers-458915/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-intellectual-660297/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/) [Study Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study-important-660296/) [Subjects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjects/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“...spirituality alone will not take a man far in the Mysteries; he must have intellectual powers as well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dion-fortune/spirituality-alone-will-not-take-a-man-far-in-the-mysteries-he-must/) [Dion Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dion-fortune/) > [The chief distinction in the intellectual powers of the two sexes is shown by mans attaining to a higher eminence, in whatever he takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-chief-distinction-in-the-intellectual-powers-of-the-two-sexes-is/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“For heaven’s sake, don’t turn reading into the intellectual equivalent of eating organic greens, or (shifting the metaphor slightly) some fearfully disciplined appointment with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-jacobs/for-heaven-s-sake-don-t-turn-reading-into-the-intellectual-equivalent/) [Alan Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-jacobs/) > [“Reading is a dialog with oneself; it is self-reflection, which cultivates profound humanity. Reading is therefore essential to our development. It expands and enriches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/reading-is-a-dialog-with-oneself-it-is-self-reflection-which/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [What is more important than reading books; is reading people's faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anis-mansour/what-is-more-important-than-reading-books-is-reading-people-s-faces/) [Anis Mansour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anis-mansour/) > [“What you study is more important than how you study. Students are subordinate to materials, much like novice cooks are subordinate to recipes. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-you-study-is-more-important-than-how-you-study-students-are/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [It is very important to be reading as well as writing. A doctor is not going to ignore new surgery practices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/it-is-very-important-to-be-reading-as-well-as-writing-a-doctor-is-not/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Not that the study is not important. A Jewish rabbi I once studies with would often say, 'For us Jews studying the bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/not-that-the-study-is-not-important-a-jewish-rabbi-i-once-studies/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [From my own experience, I know how important reading together can be for parents and children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/from-my-own-experience-i-know-how-important-reading-together-can-be/) [Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall/) > [I cannot too greatly emphasize the importance and value of Bible study - more important than ever before in these days of uncertainties, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/i-cannot-too-greatly-emphasize-the-importance-and-value-of-bible/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) > [For me, it's really important when I go into a reading to not have any bias and so that's a big reason why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-henry/for-me-it-s-really-important-when-i-go-into-a-reading-to-not-have-any/) [Tyler Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-henry/) > [“It's not important where you study it's important how well you study.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/it-s-not-important-where-you-study-it-s-important-how-well-you-study/) [Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/) > [The colour of the skin is in no way connected with strength of the mind or intellectual powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-banneker/the-colour-of-the-skin-is-in-no-way-connected-with-strength-of-the/) [Benjamin Banneker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-banneker/) > [Genius must have talent as its complement and implement, just as in like manner imagination must have fancy. In short, the higher intellectual powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/genius-must-have-talent-as-its-complement-and-implement-just-as-in/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [For each of us there is a set limit to our intellectual powers which we cannot pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/for-each-of-us-there-is-a-set-limit-to-our-intellectual-powers-which/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) ## 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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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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