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About this quote

What does it mean?
A few powerful ideas or sentences can capture the full value of a large book or work.
In plain terms
One great sentence can hold the beauty of a whole book.
What can you take from it?
Value depth over volume in writing.

Where it applies

  • writing
  • reading
  • summarizing

Putting it to work

  • focus on key ideas
  • value concise writing
  • extract essence

Questions to consider

  • What sentence changed your mind?
  • How do you find the essence in a book?

Another view

Some works need length to fully develop their arguments.

More from Joseph Joubert

  1. The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones.

    Permalink to quote #70
  2. There are some minds like either convex or concave mirrors, which represent objects such as they receive them, but never receive them as they are.

    Permalink to quote #72
  3. The talkative man speaks from his mouth, the eloquent man speaks from his heart.

    Permalink to quote #69

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