--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One afternoon he started to talk about…" description: "\"“One afternoon he started to talk about his collection of books. Of 3000 books, he found only 30 worth keeping. We were all ready to take notes, expect..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/werner-blaser-286556_architecture_one-afternoon-he-started-to-talk-about-h_165456.jpg" --- # One afternoon he started to talk about his collection of… ![“One afternoon he started to talk about his collection of books. Of 3000 books, he found only 30 worth keeping. We were all ready to take notes, expecting Mies to tell us the titles of those 30 books. Mies, instead, with a big smile on his face told us they were important only to him and we must…” quote by Werner Blaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/werner-blaser-286556_architecture_one-afternoon-he-started-to-talk-about-h_165456.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/werner-blaser-286556_architecture_one-afternoon-he-started-to-talk-about-h_165456.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e4/werner-blaser-286556_architecture_one-afternoon-he-started-to-talk-about-h_165456.jpg) > ““One afternoon he started to talk about his collection of books. Of 3000 books, he found only 30 worth keeping. We were all ready to take notes, expecting Mies to tell us the titles of those 30 books. Mies, instead, with a big smile on his face told us they were important only to him and we must find our own 30 by ourselves.”” [Werner Blaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-blaser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mies values only 30 books out of 3000, urging others to find their own essential reads. **In simple terms:** Mies kept few books, urging personal selection. Key Takeaway Curate personal essential reading list. Themes books personal curation architecture individual taste learning Mood advice observation Type Architecture:0 Books:1 Mies van der rohe:0 Writer:0 30 Books:1 Books Mies:0 3000 Books:0 Mies Tell:0 Expecting Mies:0 When to use this quote - library - education - design studios - Personal taste is subjective. Key Concepts bibliophilia architectural influence self-directed learning Questions to Reflect On - reflective - inquisitive A Different Perspective How do you choose essential books?;What criteria guide your selections? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [30 Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/30-books-863479/) [3000 Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/3000-books-1805209/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Mies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-mies-1805208/) [Expecting Mies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expecting-mies-1805211/) [Mies Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mies-tell-1805210/) [Mies van der rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mies-van-der-rohe-122047/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [To see what books were available for my older students, I made many trips to the library. 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