--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The way a book is read - which is to say…" description: "\"The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much to do with its worth as anything the author puts i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg" --- # The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a… ![“The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much to do with its worth as anything the author puts in it. Anyone who can read, can learn to read deeply and thus live more fully.” quote by Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg) > “The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much to do with its worth as anything the author puts in it. Anyone who can read, can learn to read deeply and thus live more fully.” [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reader’s mindset shapes a book’s value as much as the author’s intent, enabling deeper learning and fuller living. **In simple terms:** Reader’s attitude matters as much as author’s words. Key Takeaway Cultivate an open, critical mind. Themes reading interpretation personal growth Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - education - self‑study - critical thinking - lifelong learning Key Concepts cognitive engagement literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What preconceptions do you bring to new books? - How can you deepen your reading experience? A Different Perspective If a reader is closed‑minded, the book’s impact diminishes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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 > [The way a book is read, which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book can have as much to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings-2/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [“one of the most pleasant qualities of a reader who has lived among books all his life is that he does not attempt always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-francis-egan/one-of-the-most-pleasant-qualities-of-a-reader-who-has-lived-among/) [Maurice Francis Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-francis-egan/) > [“The reader brings to the work personality traits, memories of past events, present needs and preoccupations, a particular mood of the moment and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rosenblatt/the-reader-brings-to-the-work-personality-traits-memories-of-past/) [Louise Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rosenblatt/) > [“A book, to me, is almost sacrosanct: such an individual and private thing. The reader brings his or her own history and beliefs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/a-book-to-me-is-almost-sacrosanct-such-an-individual-and-private/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > [I can't change the preconceived notions a reader brings to a work, but I can do my best to be aware of, address, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/i-can-t-change-the-preconceived-notions-a-reader-brings-to-a-work-but/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [Sometimes a book is better than it ever had a right to be because of the history the reader brings to the reading and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/sometimes-a-book-is-better-than-it-ever-had-a-right-to-be-because-of/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [Read more. Read. Read. Read. Deeply, widely, read. Learn all kinds of subjects. The smarter you are as an actor, the better an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-guttenberg/read-more-read-read-read-deeply-widely-read-learn-all-kinds-of/) [Steve Guttenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-guttenberg/) > [Read deeply. Stay open. Continue to wonder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/read-deeply-stay-open-continue-to-wonder/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [Read deeply, not to believe, not to accept, not to contradict, but to learn to share in that one nature that writes and reads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/read-deeply-not-to-believe-not-to-accept-not-to-contradict-but-to/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [“The remedy is to read, re-read, deeply ponder and learn to live out of the truths of verses 18-30!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/the-remedy-is-to-read-re-read-deeply-ponder-and-learn-to-live-out-of/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [I never stopped loving the deeper sciences, and I read as deeply into lay science as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/i-never-stopped-loving-the-deeper-sciences-and-i-read-as-deeply-into/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [The same plasticity that allows us to form a reading circuit to begin with, and short-circuit the development of deep reading if we allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-same-plasticity-that-allows-us-to-form-a-reading-circuit-to-begin/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [“In the quiet spaces opened up by the prolonged, undistracted reading of a book, people made their own associations, drew their own inferences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-carr/in-the-quiet-spaces-opened-up-by-the-prolonged-undistracted-reading/) [Nicholas Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-carr/) > [We read deeply for varied reasons, most of them familiar: that we cannot know enough people profoundly enough; that we need to know ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/we-read-deeply-for-varied-reasons-most-of-them-familiar-that-we/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [There are more books in the world than hours in which to read them. We are thus deeply influenced by books we haven't read,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-are-more-books-in-the-world-than-hours-in-which-to-read-them-we/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) ## More by Norman Cousins > [The poet reminds men of their uniqueness and it is not necessary to possess the ultimate definition of this uniqueness. Even to speculate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-poet-reminds-men-of-their-uniqueness-and-it-is-not-necessary-to/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Unobstructed access to facts can produce unlimited good only if it is matched by the desire and ability to find out what they mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/unobstructed-access-to-facts-can-produce-unlimited-good-only-if-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [What was significant about the laughter . . . was not just the fact that it provides internal exercise for a person . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/what-was-significant-about-the-laughter-was-not-just-the-fact-that-it/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [You are younger today than you will ever be again. Make use of it for the sake of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/you-are-younger-today-than-you-will-ever-be-again-make-use-of-it-for/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [On the quality of life: #1. Realize that each human being has a built-in capacity for recuperation and repair. #2. Recognize that the quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/on-the-quality-of-life-1-realize-that-each-human-being-has-a-built-in/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [What a man really says when he says that someone else can be persuaded by force, is that he himself is incapable of more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/what-a-man-really-says-when-he-says-that-someone-else-can-be/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The starting point for a better world is the belief that it is possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-starting-point-for-a-better-world-is-the-belief-that-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The physician knows that his little black bag can carry him only so far and that the body's own healing system is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-physician-knows-that-his-little-black-bag-can-carry-him-only-so/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [We are wide-eyed in contemplating the possibility that life may exist elsewhere in the universe, but we wear blinders when contemplating the possibilities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/we-are-wide-eyed-in-contemplating-the-possibility-that-life-may-exist/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The essence of man is imperfection. Failure is simply a price we pay to achieve success. If we learn to embrace that new definition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-essence-of-man-is-imperfection-failure-is-simply-a-price-we-pay/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [My reason nourishes my faith and my faith my reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/my-reason-nourishes-my-faith-and-my-faith-my-reason/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [The growth of the human mind is still high adventure, in many ways the highest adventure on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-growth-of-the-human-mind-is-still-high-adventure-in-many-ways-the/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Death is not the enemy; living in constant fear of it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/death-is-not-the-enemy-living-in-constant-fear-of-it-is/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [All this sensory input, which begins in the brain, has its effect throughout the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/all-this-sensory-input-which-begins-in-the-brain-has-its-effect/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Humanity today is not safe in the presence of humanity. The old cannibalism has given way to anonymous action in which the killer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/humanity-today-is-not-safe-in-the-presence-of-humanity-the-old/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) [Explore all 162 Norman Cousins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) ## 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": "The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much to do with its worth as anything the author puts in it. Anyone who can read, can learn to read deeply and thus live more fully.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norman Cousins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cea/norman-cousins-2488_book_the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-t_673764.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The way a book is read - which is to say, the qualities a reader brings to a book - can have as much to do…” — Norman Cousins", "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": "Norman Cousins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The way a book is read...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-way-a-book-is-read-which-is-to-say-the-qualities-a-reader-brings/#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 } } ] } ```