On this third day of self-imposed challenge to be mindful of thankfulness, I am thankful for the written word -- for books. The photo is of a small section of the "Great Works" series as chosen and published by Britannica many years ago. We acquired this set long before we could afford to do so because we strongly believe an understanding of such works is important to a complete education.
The written word is a storehouse of knowledge that is ever evolving as we collectively learn more and more about the world around us. As I view those in the photo, the works of Ptolemy stand out to me. He wrote three primary works, "Almagest," "Geography" and "Tetrabiblos." The first, "Almagest" is important in that it is the oldest surviving comprehensive treatise on astronomy. It is geo-centric in that it places the earth at the center of the universe, but it describes the universe as a set of shells revolving about the earth (this implies the earth as a ball). He included only the area of the sky visible to him due to limitations to travel during his lifetime. His mathematical models enabled one to accurately predict the positions of many celestial bodies such as major star constellations, the sun and the moon, based on the time of the year. They provided a foundation for navigation.
In Ptolemy's work, "Geography," he published locations of the "known world" of the ancient Greeks based on a coordinate system similar to that used today. His calculations, utilizing degrees of arc, established relative positions of various places according to their positional relationship to the equator and the polar circle as well as to each other (again implying the earth is a ball). The coordinate system was also an important foundation to navigation.
We must use wisdom when reading what others have written. It is clear that much of what we "believe" to be factual at a particular point in time is later proven to be incorrect, or incomplete. With written records of our thoughts we can build on what others before us have recorded of their own thinking and by doing so, we are able to advance our own understanding. Without the written word, we would have to rely on oral tradition which evolves quickly due to imperfect memory. Many of us have played the game in which a "secret" is whispered in the ear of the next person in a circle. After several iterations of passing the "secret" along it becomes almost unrecognizable.
Reading and writing are the most important skill sets we can teach our children. If you can read, you can learn almost anything. Yes, some things require hands-on aptitude as well, but a basic understanding can be gained from books which makes acquiring the manual skills easier.
I am thankful that my parents read to me as a child and through them I gained a love of books and learning that I have passed on to my children and they, in turn, will pass on to theirs. One of my greatest pleasures is to read to my grandchildren and to see their joy in hearing the oft-repeated stories. There is nothing better than a bunch of kids sitting on the lap or, the arm of the chair, or standing to the side, or behind as you read to them. Yes, I am thankful for books and how they connect us through the generations.
"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." -- John 21:25
