--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The book itself is a curious artifact…" description: "\"The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its technology but complex and extremely efficient: a really neat little device, compact, often ver..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/ursula-k-le-guin-138_artifact_the-book-itself-is-a-curious-artifact-no_3043156.jpg" --- # The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its… ![“The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its technology but complex and extremely efficient: a really neat little device, compact, often very pleasant to look at and handle, that can last decades, even centuries. It doesn't have to be plugged in, activated, or performed by a machine…” quote by Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/ursula-k-le-guin-138_artifact_the-book-itself-is-a-curious-artifact-no_3043156.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/ursula-k-le-guin-138_artifact_the-book-itself-is-a-curious-artifact-no_3043156.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34c/ursula-k-le-guin-138_artifact_the-book-itself-is-a-curious-artifact-no_3043156.jpg) > “The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its technology but complex and extremely efficient: a really neat little device, compact, often very pleasant to look at and handle, that can last decades, even centuries. It doesn't have to be plugged in, activated, or performed by a machine; all it needs is light, a human eye, and a human mind. It is not one of a kind, and it is not ephemeral. It lasts. It is reliable.” [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The description praises a simple, light‑powered device that is durable, efficient, and pleasant to use, emphasizing its timeless, human‑centric design. **In simple terms:** A simple, light‑driven device can be durable, efficient, and enjoyable. Key Takeaway Design for longevity and human interaction. Themes design technology efficiency human‑centred durability Mood thoughtful optimistic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - education - product design - library arch - museum exhibit - long‑term use Key Concepts sustainability minimalism user experience Questions to Reflect On - How can low‑tech devices remain relevant today? - What design principles ensure lasting usefulness? A Different Perspective It may overlook the need for power in some contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artifact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artifact/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Ephemeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ephemeral/) [Human mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-mind/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [It's been really fun to see with each album when I change to see the fans of the show emulate my style and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avril-lavigne/it-s-been-really-fun-to-see-with-each-album-when-i-change-to-see-the/) [Avril Lavigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avril-lavigne/) > [Being on a television show and having so many fans is something that I've never experienced before, and it's really neat when they come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shantel-vansanten/being-on-a-television-show-and-having-so-many-fans-is-something-that/) [Shantel VanSanten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shantel-vansanten/) > [It was really really neat to make the movie because there were mentally challenged actors in the movie. So that was really really cool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-fanning/it-was-really-really-neat-to-make-the-movie-because-there-were/) [Dakota Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-fanning/) > [One time I got fan mail that was from Africa. It's really neat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-pomers/one-time-i-got-fan-mail-that-was-from-africa-it-s-really-neat/) [Scarlett Pomers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-pomers/) > [Wow! That's a really neat anwesr!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ducky/wow-that-s-a-really-neat-anwesr/) Ducky > [“...and I thought I might take him home and see how he works. It's really neat the way all those little bone things fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rivers-siddons/and-i-thought-i-might-take-him-home-and-see-how-he-works-it-s-really/) [Anne Rivers Siddons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rivers-siddons/) > [Wow! That's a really neat awnser!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasemin/wow-that-s-a-really-neat-awnser/) Jasemin > [Wow! That's a really neat asnwer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debrah/wow-that-s-a-really-neat-asnwer/) Debrah > [To be publishing Stephen King, to be a friend to Stephen, when he is absolutely what got me into this business, is a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-chizmar/to-be-publishing-stephen-king-to-be-a-friend-to-stephen-when-he-is/) [Richard Chizmar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-chizmar/) > [Metallica's 'black' album, when I heard that and I heard Lars' playing, and I just was, like, you know, 'Wow! Something really neat's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ward/metallica-s-black-album-when-i-heard-that-and-i-heard-lars-playing/) [Bill Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ward/) > [It's such an extraordinary time to be alive that you just don't want to miss it. I mean, it's a really neat historical period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/it-s-such-an-extraordinary-time-to-be-alive-that-you-just-don-t-want/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [In Tetrad form, the artifact is seen to be not neutral or passive, bur an active logos or utterance of the human mind or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/in-tetrad-form-the-artifact-is-seen-to-be-not-neutral-or-passive-bur/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [The smallest detail can contribute to the whole, I think particularly with emotion, you want it to be as authentic as it can, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-weir/the-smallest-detail-can-contribute-to-the-whole-i-think-particularly/) [Peter Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-weir/) > [“A.: Whatever; you must know how it works. An artifact containing... raw feelings, unprocessed sights and sounds and pains that the brain interprets- is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cantero/a-whatever-you-must-know-how-it-works-an-artifact-containing-raw/) [Edgar Cantero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cantero/) > [“Parcifal is one of those corkscrew artifact of culture in which you get the subjective sense that you've learned something from it, something valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/parcifal-is-one-of-those-corkscrew-artifact-of-culture-in-which-you/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) ## More by Ursula K. Le Guin > [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Translation is entirely mysterious. Increasingly I have felt that the art of writing is itself translating, or more like translating than it is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/translation-is-entirely-mysterious-increasingly-i-have-felt-that-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Aeneas' mother is a star?" "No; a goddess." I said cautiously, "Venus is the power that we invoke in spring, in the garden, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/aeneas-mother-is-a-star-no-a-goddess-i-said-cautiously-venus-is-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Meaning - this is perhaps the common note, the bane I am seeking. What is the Meaning of this book, this event in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/meaning-this-is-perhaps-the-common-note-the-bane-i-am-seeking-what-is/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [For fantasy is true, of course. It isn't factual, but it is true. Children know that. Adults know it too, and that is precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/for-fantasy-is-true-of-course-it-isn-t-factual-but-it-is-true/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“. . . chronosophy does involve ethics. Because our sense of time involves our ability to separate cause and effect, means and end. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/chronosophy-does-involve-ethics-because-our-sense-of-time-involves/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“If both you and your plane are on time, the airport is merely a diffuse, short, miserable prelude to the intense, long, miserable plane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/if-both-you-and-your-plane-are-on-time-the-airport-is-merely-a/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“The author is not impartial. Dystopia is not tragedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/the-author-is-not-impartial-dystopia-is-not-tragedy/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Between thought and spoken word is a gap where intention can enter, the symbol be twisted aside, and the lie come to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/between-thought-and-spoken-word-is-a-gap-where-intention-can-enter/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [I have no control over my writing. I have lots of good intentions, but no control. There's a story that wants to be told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-have-no-control-over-my-writing-i-have-lots-of-good-intentions-but/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“I did a lot today. That is, I did something. The only thing I have ever done. I pressed a button. It took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-did-a-lot-today-that-is-i-did-something-the-only-thing-i-have-ever/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [To me the female principle is, or at least historically has been, basically anarchic. It values order without constraint, rule by custom not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/to-me-the-female-principle-is-or-at-least-historically-has-been/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Hector had no virtue?” “Of course he did. He won all his battles, till the last one.” “We all do,” Aeneas remarked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/hector-had-no-virtue-of-course-he-did-he-won-all-his-battles-till-the/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“I was willing to believe him that most modern writing was trash, on the evidence that so much old writing was trash; but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-was-willing-to-believe-him-that-most-modern-writing-was-trash-on/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [“Can women operate as women in a male institution without becoming imitation men?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/can-women-operate-as-women-in-a-male-institution-without-becoming/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) [Explore all 1,114 Ursula K. Le Guin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) ## More Artifact quotes > [“A.: Whatever; you must know how it works. An artifact containing... raw feelings, unprocessed sights and sounds and pains that the brain interprets- is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-cantero/a-whatever-you-must-know-how-it-works-an-artifact-containing-raw/) [Edgar Cantero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-cantero/) > [The smallest detail can contribute to the whole, I think particularly with emotion, you want it to be as authentic as it can, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-weir/the-smallest-detail-can-contribute-to-the-whole-i-think-particularly/) [Peter Weir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-weir/) > [“Parcifal is one of those corkscrew artifact of culture in which you get the subjective sense that you've learned something from it, something valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/parcifal-is-one-of-those-corkscrew-artifact-of-culture-in-which-you/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [In Tetrad form, the artifact is seen to be not neutral or passive, bur an active logos or utterance of the human mind or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/in-tetrad-form-the-artifact-is-seen-to-be-not-neutral-or-passive-bur/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [“It’s the invention of clothes, not nature, that made “private parts” private.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/it-s-the-invention-of-clothes-not-nature-that-made-private-parts/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Luxury, not necessity, is the mother of invention. Every artifact is somewhat wanting in its function, and that is what drives its evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/luxury-not-necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention-every-artifact-is/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [Wine is not discovered but made: it is an artifact that can be appraised that can be appraised aesthetically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/wine-is-not-discovered-but-made-it-is-an-artifact-that-can-be/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) > [A book is more than the sum of its materials. It is an artifact of the human mind and hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/a-book-is-more-than-the-sum-of-its-materials-it-is-an-artifact-of-the/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [History is just this froth of artifact production that has appeared in the last ten to fifteen thousand years. It spread across the planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-is-just-this-froth-of-artifact-production-that-has-appeared/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No artifact is a work of art if it does not help to humanize us. Without art...our world would have remained a jungle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/no-artifact-is-a-work-of-art-if-it-does-not-help-to-humanize-us/) [Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/) > [“Let's just call it an artifact of a misspent youth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/let-s-just-call-it-an-artifact-of-a-misspent-youth/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [The novel is an artifact, which is why antiquarians cling to it so fervently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/the-novel-is-an-artifact-which-is-why-antiquarians-cling-to-it-so/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [If you make something, it's an artifact. It's something that somebody or some corporate entity has caused to come into being. A great many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/if-you-make-something-it-s-an-artifact-it-s-something-that-somebody/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [“Anyone who has lived Is an historian & an artifact, For they hold all their time within them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-gorman/anyone-who-has-lived-is-an-historian-an-artifact-for-they-hold-all/) [Amanda Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-gorman/) > [“An artifact can be thought of as a meeting point—an “interface” in today’s terms—between an “inner” environment, the substance and organization of the artifact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-a-simon/an-artifact-can-be-thought-of-as-a-meeting-point-an-interface-in/) [Herbert A. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-a-simon/) [Browse all 17 Artifact quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artifact/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The book itself is a curious artifact, not showy in its technology but complex and extremely efficient: a really neat little device, compact, often very pleasant to look at and handle, that can last decades, even centuries. It doesn't have to be plugged in, activated, or performed by a machine; all it needs is light, a human eye, and a human mind. It is not one of a kind, and it is not ephemeral. It lasts. It is reliable.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ursula K. 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