--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not the reading of many books which…" description: "\"It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good, but the well-reading of a few, could he be sure to have the best. An..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/richard-baxter-2985_book_it-is-not-the-reading-of-many-books-whic_1991488.png" --- # It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to… ![“It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good, but the well-reading of a few, could he be sure to have the best. And it is not possible to read over many on the same subject without a great deal of loss of precious time.” quote by Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/richard-baxter-2985_book_it-is-not-the-reading-of-many-books-whic_1991488.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/richard-baxter-2985_book_it-is-not-the-reading-of-many-books-whic_1991488.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41b/richard-baxter-2985_book_it-is-not-the-reading-of-many-books-whic_1991488.png) > “It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good, but the well-reading of a few, could he be sure to have the best. And it is not possible to read over many on the same subject without a great deal of loss of precious time.” [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quality over quantity in reading yields deeper wisdom; selective, thorough study is more valuable than superficial breadth. **In simple terms:** Read few books well rather than many shallowly. Key Takeaway Prioritize deep engagement with key texts. Themes education wisdom reading focus Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - academic study - personal development - professional training - spiritual growth Key Concepts critical thinking knowledge acquisition literary value Questions to Reflect On - Which books have shaped your thinking most? - How can you balance depth and breadth in learning? A Different Perspective Limited time may restrict access to many sources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-reading/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-books/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good; but well reading of a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/it-is-not-the-reading-of-many-books-which-is-necessary-to-make-a-man/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [In proportion as society refines, new books must ever become more necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/in-proportion-as-society-refines-new-books-must-ever-become-more/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [Those who cultivate letters must be supplied with the books necessary for their purpose; and until this supply is secured I shall not rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldus-manutius/those-who-cultivate-letters-must-be-supplied-with-the-books-necessary/) Aldus Manutius > [I think, basically, what I'm good for is reading - a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/i-think-basically-what-i-m-good-for-is-reading-a-lot/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [That's what a writer does; they make things up and that makes for good reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/that-s-what-a-writer-does-they-make-things-up-and-that-makes-for-good/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [“I need a Good Reading book! for a Broken Soul ;(”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/broken-souls/i-need-a-good-reading-book-for-a-broken-soul/) Broken Souls > [“How are you so good at reading me when you can't read anyone else around you?" He sighed, and as he climbed out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brodi-ashton/how-are-you-so-good-at-reading-me-when-you-can-t-read-anyone-else/) [Brodi Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brodi-ashton/) > [Yes, I was good at reading people. I studied them so I could put them in my novels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/yes-i-was-good-at-reading-people-i-studied-them-so-i-could-put-them/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“She'd always been good at reading people, but she couldn't read him. And holy fuck, did she want to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-rocha/she-d-always-been-good-at-reading-people-but-she-couldn-t-read-him/) [Kit Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-rocha/) > [“I am aware of many things being quite as important as good writing and good reading; but in all things it is wiser to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/i-am-aware-of-many-things-being-quite-as-important-as-good-writing/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [I am a practical girl, and a life is only so long. It should be spent in as much peace and good eating and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/i-am-a-practical-girl-and-a-life-is-only-so-long-it-should-be-spent/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [As long as you notice, and have to count the steps, you are not yet dancing but only learning to dance. A good shoe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/as-long-as-you-notice-and-have-to-count-the-steps-you-are-not-yet/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A lot of religious texts make for good reading. That's why they hold up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/a-lot-of-religious-texts-make-for-good-reading-that-s-why-they-hold-up/) [Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/) > [I'm good at reading people. If I wasn't an actor, I would be a psychologist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wolfhard/i-m-good-at-reading-people-if-i-wasn-t-an-actor-i-would-be-a/) [Finn Wolfhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wolfhard/) > [Most of what makes a book 'good' is that we are reading it at the right moment for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/most-of-what-makes-a-book-good-is-that-we-are-reading-it-at-the-right/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) ## More by Richard Baxter > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Most (Christians) have an ungrounded trust in Christ, hoping that He will pardon, justify and save them, while the world has their hearts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/most-christians-have-an-ungrounded-trust-in-christ-hoping-that-he/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [My Lord, I have nothing to do in this World, but to seek and serve thee; I have nothing to do with a Heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/my-lord-i-have-nothing-to-do-in-this-world-but-to-seek-and-serve-thee/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [We must feel toward our people as a father toward his children; yea, the most tender love of a mother must not surpass ours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/we-must-feel-toward-our-people-as-a-father-toward-his-children-yea/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [We are ignorant of things necessary, because we learn things superfluous and unnecessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/we-are-ignorant-of-things-necessary-because-we-learn-things/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [In a divine commonwealth holiness must have the principal honor and encouragement, and a great difference be made between the precious and the vile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/in-a-divine-commonwealth-holiness-must-have-the-principal-honor-and/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [God takes men's hearty desires and will, instead of the deed, where they have not power to fulfill it; but he never took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/god-takes-men-s-hearty-desires-and-will-instead-of-the-deed-where/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Surely love is both work and wages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/surely-love-is-both-work-and-wages/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Naturally, men are prone to spin themselves a web of opinions out of their own brain, and to have a religion that may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/naturally-men-are-prone-to-spin-themselves-a-web-of-opinions-out-of/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was a justified, sanctified man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/god-never-saved-any-man-for-being-a-preacher-nor-because-he-was-an/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [A man pleaser cannot be true to God, because he is a servant to the enemies of his service; the wind of a man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/a-man-pleaser-cannot-be-true-to-god-because-he-is-a-servant-to-the/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“He is not drowning His sheep when He washeth them, nor killing them when He is shearing them. But by this He showeth that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/he-is-not-drowning-his-sheep-when-he-washeth-them-nor-killing-them/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Get masters of families to do their duty, and they will not only spare you a great deal of labor, but will much further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/get-masters-of-families-to-do-their-duty-and-they-will-not-only-spare/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Christ leads me through no darker rooms than He went through before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/christ-leads-me-through-no-darker-rooms-than-he-went-through-before/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Such is the depth of the Christian Scriptures, that even if I were attempting to study them and nothing else from early boyhood to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/such-is-the-depth-of-the-christian-scriptures-that-even-if-i-were/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) [Explore all 143 Richard Baxter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) ## 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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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": "It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good, but the well-reading of a few, could he be sure to have the best. 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