--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let us secure not such books as people…" description: "\"Let us secure not such books as people want, but books just above their wants, and they will reach up to take what is put out for them.\" — Maria Mitchell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg" --- # Let us secure not such books as people want, but books… ![“Let us secure not such books as people want, but books just above their wants, and they will reach up to take what is put out for them.” quote by Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg) > “Let us secure not such books as people want, but books just above their wants, and they will reach up to take what is put out for them.” [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Provide literature slightly beyond current desires to inspire aspiration and higher achievement. **In simple terms:** Offer books a bit above readers’ wants. Key Takeaway Challenge readers with slightly higher goals. Themes education aspiration growth literature Mood inspirational thoughtful Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - public libraries - reading programs - personal development Key Concepts pedagogy motivation cognitive development Questions to Reflect On - How can you gauge the right level of challenge? - What topics inspire you to reach higher? A Different Perspective Too high a challenge may discourage some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [If we cannot secure all our rights, let us secure what we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/if-we-cannot-secure-all-our-rights-let-us-secure-what-we-can/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“We want books that are written for those of us who doubt everything, who cry over the least little thing, who are startled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-coss/we-want-books-that-are-written-for-those-of-us-who-doubt-everything/) [Laurence Cossé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-coss/) > [I want my own books to have their own shelves," you said, and that's how I knew it would be okay to live together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-want-my-own-books-to-have-their-own-shelves-you-said-and-that-s-how/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The information I most want is in books not yet written by people not yet born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-brilliant/the-information-i-most-want-is-in-books-not-yet-written-by-people-not/) [Ashleigh Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-brilliant/) > [I always want my books to reach a positive point in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/i-always-want-my-books-to-reach-a-positive-point-in-the-end/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [I want to put out a few books throughout my lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katelyn-ohashi/i-want-to-put-out-a-few-books-throughout-my-lifetime/) [Katelyn Ohashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katelyn-ohashi/) > [“I want to see my wife and children every day, I want to see my grass and blossoms and corn ... But above all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/i-want-to-see-my-wife-and-children-every-day-i-want-to-see-my-grass/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I have a very big apartment in Paris but you can't really move around there anymore; piles of books everywhere. I don't want any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lindbergh/i-have-a-very-big-apartment-in-paris-but-you-can-t-really-move-around/) [Peter Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lindbergh/) > [“She herself was a victim of that lust for books which rages in the breast like a demon, and which cannot be stilled save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/she-herself-was-a-victim-of-that-lust-for-books-which-rages-in-the/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [I want books to give me insight into the way people's brains work and hearts work, and that's what engages me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-want-books-to-give-me-insight-into-the-way-people-s-brains-work-and/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I want my books to last, to stand the test of time, and to do that I focus on the forces that shape the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maraniss/i-want-my-books-to-last-to-stand-the-test-of-time-and-to-do-that-i/) [David Maraniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maraniss/) > [Book lovers are thought by unbookish people to be gentle and unworldly, and perhaps a few of them are so. But there are others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/book-lovers-are-thought-by-unbookish-people-to-be-gentle-and/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [“He acquired more and more books, books being an acknowledged extravagance he could seldom curb. (With one London bookseller he had placed a standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/he-acquired-more-and-more-books-books-being-an-acknowledged/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [What would be the good of rushing? You want these books to last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/what-would-be-the-good-of-rushing-you-want-these-books-to-last/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [I want Books and Babies and Beef stews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-want-books-and-babies-and-beef-stews/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) ## More by Maria Mitchell > [In my younger days, when I was painted by the half-educated, loose and inaccurate ways women had, I used to say, "How much women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/in-my-younger-days-when-i-was-painted-by-the-half-educated-loose-and/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [That knowledge which is popular is not scientific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/that-knowledge-which-is-popular-is-not-scientific/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [When we are chafed and fretted by small cares, a look at the stars will show us the littleness of our own interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/when-we-are-chafed-and-fretted-by-small-cares-a-look-at-the-stars/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/there-is-no-cosmetic-for-beauty-like-happiness/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [There is something of the same pleasure in noticing the hues of the stars that there is in looking at a flower garden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/there-is-something-of-the-same-pleasure-in-noticing-the-hues-of-the/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [I made observations for three hours last night, and am almost ill to-day from fatigue; still I have worked all day, trying to reduce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/i-made-observations-for-three-hours-last-night-and-am-almost-ill-to/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [The world of learning is so broad, and the human soul is so limited in power! We reach forth and strain every nerve, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/the-world-of-learning-is-so-broad-and-the-human-soul-is-so-limited-in/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [The greatest benefit derived from the study of science is that it lifts you out of and above the littleness of daily trials. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/the-greatest-benefit-derived-from-the-study-of-science-is-that-it/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [“Truth or myth, it is only for me to know. Come with me into the rich texture of Bizco's kingdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/truth-or-myth-it-is-only-for-me-to-know-come-with-me-into-the-rich/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [The phrase ‘popular science’ has in itself a touch of absurdity. That knowledge which is popular is not scientific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/the-phrase-popular-science-has-in-itself-a-touch-of-absurdity-that/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [I had, early in life, a love for staging, but it is fast dying out. Nine hours over a rough road are enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/i-had-early-in-life-a-love-for-staging-but-it-is-fast-dying-out-nine/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [People have to learn sometimes not only how much the heart, but how much the head, can bear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/people-have-to-learn-sometimes-not-only-how-much-the-heart-but-how/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [“I knew of no sadder picture in the history of science than that of the old man, Galileo, worn by a long life of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/i-knew-of-no-sadder-picture-in-the-history-of-science-than-that-of/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [Besides learning to see, there is another art to be learned - not to see what is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/besides-learning-to-see-there-is-another-art-to-be-learned-not-to-see/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) > [An English village could never be mistaken for an American one: the outline against the sky differs; a thatched cottage makes a very wavy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/an-english-village-could-never-be-mistaken-for-an-american-one-the/) [Maria Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) [Explore all 62 Maria Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/) ## 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! 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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": "Let us secure not such books as people want, but books just above their wants, and they will reach up to take what is put out for them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maria Mitchell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-want-but-books-just-above/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-want-but-books-just-above/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maria-mitchell-10880_book_let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-w_979274.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Let us secure not such books as people want, but books just above their wants, and they will reach up to…” — Maria Mitchell", "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": "Maria Mitchell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-mitchell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Let us secure not such books...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-want-but-books-just-above/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-mitchell/let-us-secure-not-such-books-as-people-want-but-books-just-above/#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 } } ] } ```