--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be not content with the best book; seek…" description: "\"Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.\" — Lord Acton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png" --- # Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from… ![“Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.” quote by Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png) > “Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.” [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading only the most acclaimed works limits perspective; exploring lesser-known texts broadens insight. **In simple terms:** Read beyond bestsellers. Key Takeaway Seek diverse reading. Themes learning literature open‑mindedness Mood curious thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal development - education Key Concepts critical thinking cultural awareness Questions to Reflect On - What lesser‑known book changed your view? - How do you balance popular and obscure reading? A Different Perspective Focusing on obscure works can dilute depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favorites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton-2/be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-sidelights-from-the-others-2/) John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton > [To pore upon a book, to seek the light of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/to-pore-upon-a-book-to-seek-the-light-of-truth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If You Are Content With The Best You Have Done, You Will Never Become The Best You Can Be...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/if-you-are-content-with-the-best-you-have-done-you-will-never-become/) Pacifiersucker > [I'm not hard to please, I'm content with the very best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernand-point/i-m-not-hard-to-please-i-m-content-with-the-very-best/) [Fernand Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernand-point/) > [Much like great products, great content will only find the best people to love it if it's leveraged well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-shannon/much-like-great-products-great-content-will-only-find-the-best-people/) Paul Shannon > [When it comes to content, the best marketers know that self promotion is good!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-flanagan/when-it-comes-to-content-the-best-marketers-know-that-self-promotion/) Kieran Flanagan > [I always knew that content was the best way to sell things, but my thing was, why sell other people's stuff if I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-dash/i-always-knew-that-content-was-the-best-way-to-sell-things-but-my/) [Damon Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-dash/) > [At our core, we are a content company. That content has to be the very best. You can't be a company of this size…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-dubuc/at-our-core-we-are-a-content-company-that-content-has-to-be-the-very/) [Nancy Dubuc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-dubuc/) > [Our content Is our best having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/our-content-is-our-best-having/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“You are the best book you could ever write phi”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/you-are-the-best-book-you-could-ever-write-phi/) [rassool jibraeel snyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rassool-jibraeel-snyman/) > [The best book is not one that informs merely, but one that stirs the reader up to inform himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-book-is-not-one-that-informs-merely-but-one-that-stirs-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I Never Liked You. I think that's my best book. I think it works the best as a story, and I like the drawing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-brown/i-never-liked-you-i-think-that-s-my-best-book-i-think-it-works-the/) [Chester Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-brown/) > [I write the best book that I can write each time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-robards/i-write-the-best-book-that-i-can-write-each-time/) [Karen Robards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-robards/) > [Someone gave me the Love Languages book, and that has been the best book I've ever read about relationships and has helped me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cavallari/someone-gave-me-the-love-languages-book-and-that-has-been-the-best/) [Kristin Cavallari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cavallari/) > [i really like kingdom hearts its like the best book ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiro-amano/i-really-like-kingdom-hearts-its-like-the-best-book-ever/) [Shiro Amano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiro-amano/) ## More by Lord Acton > [The history of institutions is often a history of deception and illusions; for their virtue depends on the ideas that produce and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-history-of-institutions-is-often-a-history-of-deception-and/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [A liberal is only a bundle of prejudices until he has mastered, has understood, experienced the philosophy of Conservatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/a-liberal-is-only-a-bundle-of-prejudices-until-he-has-mastered-has/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Every class is unfit to govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/every-class-is-unfit-to-govern/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Fanaticism displays itself in the masses; but the masses were rarely fanaticised; and the crimes ascribed to it were commonly due to the calculations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/fanaticism-displays-itself-in-the-masses-but-the-masses-were-rarely/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [In England Parliament is above the law. In America the law is above Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/in-england-parliament-is-above-the-law-in-america-the-law-is-above/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-not-a-more-perilous-or-immoral-habit-of-mind-than-the/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Towns were the nursery of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/towns-were-the-nursery-of-freedom/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [It was from America that the plain ideas that men ought to mind their business, and that the nation is responsible to Heaven for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/it-was-from-america-that-the-plain-ideas-that-men-ought-to-mind-their/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/character-is-tested-by-true-sentiments-more-than-by-conduct-a-man-is/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-and-good-government-do-not-exclude-each-other-and-there-are/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [The test of liberty is the position and security of minorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-test-of-liberty-is-the-position-and-security-of-minorities/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [The common vice of democracy is disregard for morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-common-vice-of-democracy-is-disregard-for-morality/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Feudalism made land the measure and the master of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/feudalism-made-land-the-measure-and-the-master-of-all-things/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [“power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/power-corrupts-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutley/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [There are many things the government cant do, many good purposes it must renounce. It must leave them to the enterprise of others. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-are-many-things-the-government-cant-do-many-good-purposes-it/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) [Explore all 141 Lord Acton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) ## More Book 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lord Acton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-sidelights-from-the-others/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-sidelights-from-the-others/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/280/lord-acton-3040_book_be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-s_2150572.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.” — Lord Acton", "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": "Lord Acton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Be not content with the best...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-sidelights-from-the-others/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/be-not-content-with-the-best-book-seek-sidelights-from-the-others/#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 } } ] } ```