Crucial role of a book

From Gunturu Seshendra Sarma’s “In Defence of People and Poetry”

“The crucial role a book plays in the development of human consciousness and in the perception of civilisation and culture is not fully realised by many of us. If one realises that human memory is the basic brick of human time and civilisation or rather the space-time continuum, it is easy to understand that the book in fact takes the place of memory and fulfils the role played by the latter in the perpetuation of civilisation and continuity of human thought in life, experience and consciousness are mutually related to each other and that the latter is directly proportionate to the magnitude of experience acquired by the individual and that it is this consciousness which is the final cause of the calibre of poetry or any other achievement of man. Man, therefore, has to read and read as many books as possible and extend the empire of his experience and grow into the most conscious human being possible”