A Great Book is a Great Evil

This saying was common among the Grecians, and is true to a certain degree, in all ages of the world since the publication of books; especially of the present, which is an age characterized for the multiplicity of its book, and the sheer volume of information rather than the amount of knowledge contained in them.

The mind is so constituted that it cannot, either with profit or pleasure, dwell a long time upon one subject. It naturally seeks with eagerness something new. Hence, if we read or peruse a large volume, we soon become tired and bored at its contents, and soon throw it aside before it is finished, without having understood the purpose of the writer. Among all the long books we can find, there are few, if any, where the same idea could not be expressed in a shorter and more concise manner.

The last reason, and by no means the least important, is that time is too precious to be wasted; especially in the present age, where so many new subjects and ideas are presented that claim our attention, and overly long books distracts us from other great texts.

Beautifully restored map of Blackstone, MA from 1879

Historic old map of Blackstone, Massachusetts from 1879

New Yorkers pay $56 per month to trim one minute off their commute

How much does a New York minute cost? The answer seems to be between $33 and $56 per month. That’s how much more it costs New Yorkers in rent, on average, to live one minute closer to Manhattan's main business district. Using StreetEasy's database of real estate...

Serve God in your daily life

Many intelligent men and women deliberately trade the spiritual for the material…

Historic bird’s eye view of Annapolis, Maryland from 1864

Historic bird’s eye view of Annapolis, Maryland from 1864

Map of Texas and Loyal Colonies, AKA the United States, 1960s

The historic map of Texas is a nostalgic and humorous representation of the state created in the 1960's. The map depicts Texas as the greatest state in the Union, with various illustrations and historical footnotes throughout. Some of the drawings on the map refer to...

Historic old map of Oshkosh, Wisconsin from 1919

This historic old map of Oshkosh, Wisconsin was created in 1919 by the Wright Directory Company of Milwaukee. The map shows an aerial outline of Oshkosh as it used to be, including street names and old landmarks. In addition to a guide of the streets, landmarks on the...

Lakeland, Florida – Shopping for fruit at the market, 1939

This historic photo shows a young woman shopping in Lakeland, Florida in 1939. Lakeland was incorporated January 1, 1885 and rose to prominence due to its strategic location on the railway line connecting Tampa and Orlando. This advantageous positioning helped...

Beautifully detailed map of Chicopee, Massachusetts in 1878

Historic bird’s eye view of Chicopee, Massachusetts in 1878