[PW] "A man who does not read books has no advantage..."

[Dennis Lien]

At 05:32 PM 1/23/2007, you wrote:
>People,
>
>The quotation "The man who doesn't read books has no advantage over the
>man who can't read them" (and variations), attributed to Mark Twain, has
>been mentioned on this list before.


And I probably cited this before when it came up (though I don't recall
for sure if I did -- yes, I know, "The wombat who doesn't reread his old
postings has no advantage over the wombat who hasn't saved them to reread..."

http://www.boondocksnet.com/twaintexts/quotes_not_twain.html#N_5_

<snip>

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who 
can't read them.(5)

<snip>

5.  In Nice Guys Finish Seventh: False Phrases, Spurious Sayings, and 
Familiar Misquotations (1992), Ralph Keyes writes: "Abby Van Buren once 
made this observation in her advice column. A reader said she should have 
credited the thought to Mark Twain. Abby apologized, explaining that she 
genuinely thought the idea was her own. Perhaps it was. Although this 
saying is often attributed to Twain, no one has ever confirmed that he said 
it" (p. 111).

************

Something new:

It was ascribed to Twain at least as early as 1926 (as usual, with no checkable
citation), per a Google in Book search:


College and University - Page 401
by American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, 
American Association of Collegiate Registrars - 1947
It was Mark Twain who said, "The man who doesn't read has no advantage over the
man who can't read. ...
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The Educational Forum - Page 373
by Kappa Delta Pi (Honor society), Kappa Delta Pi (Honor society). 
Executive Council - 1936
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who n't read
them. ion and the common good: a ll Philosophy of the Curric- i, ...
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An Leabharlann - Page 49
by Library Association of Ireland, Library Association Northern Ireland 
Branch - 1932
Mark Twain wrote, " The man who does not read good books has no advantage over
the man who can't read them." And Carlyle tells us, " All that mankind has ...
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Modern Eloquence: A Library of the World's Best Spoken Thought - Page 290
edited by Ashley Horace Thorndike - 1928
The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the one who can't 
read
them.
Employ your time improving yourselves by other men's doc-uments : so ...
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Public Management - Page 35
by International City/County Management Association - 1926
Mark Twain wrote, "The man who does not read good books has no advantage over
the man who can't read them." And Carlyle tells us, "All that mankind has 
done ...
Snippet view - About this book

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // d-lien at umn.edu