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Quote by Samuel Smiles

Work

Men of Invention and Industry

This book delves into the lives and achievements of individuals who have shaped the course of technological and industrial progress, offering insights into their innovations and their impact on society. more

Author

Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles

Samuel Smiles was a British author renowned for his influential works on self-improvement and personal success. Born on December 23, 1812, in Scotland, he passed away on April 16, 1904. His writings emphasized the importance of hard work, self-discipline, and perseverance, inspiring countless individuals throughout history. more

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“Those who admire modern civilization usually identify it with the steam engine and the electric telegraph.”

“We live in a glass-soaked civilization, but as for the bird in the Chinese proverb who finds it so difficult to discover air, the substance is almost invisible to us. To use a metaphor drawn from glass, it may be revealing for us to re-focus, to stop looking through glass, and let our eyes dwell on it for a moment to contemplate its wonder.”

“Without undervaluing any other human agency, it may be safely affirmed that the Common School, improved and energized, as it can easily be, may become the most effective and benignant of all the forces of civilization. Two reasons sustain this position. In the first place, there is a universality in its operation, which can be affirmed of no other institution whatever... And, in the second place, the materials upon which it operates are so pliant and ductile as to be susceptible of assuming a greater variety of forms than any other earthly work of the Creator.”