What gives a person reading books? What are the advantages of reading over other available leisure activities?

Surely, many of us have learned the unshakable truth since childhood - it is useful to read books. But to whom and why is not entirely clear. What does reading books give a person? What is their advantage over other sources of information? And, if it really exists, then why do people read so little now?

The modern world and the desire to go (and sometimes run) in step with the times and fashion make their own adjustments to our lives. Whether we like it or not. And now, quite often, an evening in front of the TV or a computer “shooter” is preferred to a dear heart of a volume of world classics. Yes, and the necessary information can be "fished out" from other sources - audio casts, films, media, various webinars, and just notes from the World Wide Web. In addition, reading books, even with a great desire, may simply not be enough time. So it turns out that in our time, more and more often people answer the question: “What book are you reading now?” They say, "I don't read books." This is especially true of the younger generation, which literally from the maternity hospital is surrounded by many convenient gadgets.

Of course, it is not for us to judge whether this is good or bad. Time does not stand still, and, rather, it can be argued that all changes are quite expected and natural. Agree, it is rather strange to expect from a modern student that he will sit and write an essay (by hand!) In the library, having shoveled a mountain of literature. No, of course, he will rather enter the topic into the search engine, and a good Google will give him several almost finished works - take it, choose it, compose it, and you're done! Yes, and world literature, most likely, he will read through the digest - there the same "War and Peace" was briefly interpreted in eight to ten pages, and it is immediately clear who is who and why. Read it - and go ahead, take the exam. And, if it “rolled” once, the second, the third ... Do you think the child will see the point in reading the “originals”, will he enjoy the very process of reading books?

The question is moot. On the one hand, positive illustrative examples of "reading" relatives and friends can certainly arouse anyone's interest in reading. And especially in a developing person. But what to do if only the “Russian-English Dictionary” and “How to Hammer a Nail Properly” are on the shelves in the library of the parental home? Yes, and the child sees mom and dad reading maximum glossy magazines and yellow press? It is unlikely that he will show interest in the world classics of literature, right?

And the phrase: “He should be taught at school!” is not an excuse. They will teach you something, not a single student has yet received a certificate without being able to read in principle. That's just "be able" and "actively use" - things are frankly different. And especially for books.

The older generation has its own legitimate "excuses". First and foremost is the lack of time. Undoubtedly, the employment of modern man is very high. But only here there is one “but” - according to statistics, the most successful people read a lot. Is always. Are you saying they are less busy than everyone else? This question is not here to offend or provoke anyone - no, it's just food for thought. And, as always, only you have the right to decide what to do with it.

What is it about reading books? Let's take a closer look..

Scientists identify 10 main reasons why reading books for a person is a very useful and important activity:

1. Improving imagination and boosting creativity. When we read books, we ourselves draw a picture of everything that happens in the plot. Words take on new life, transforming in our imagination. Sounds, images, smells of the story being read are “drawn” in our head. Such exercises miraculously train the brain, namely its “creative muscles”.

In addition, reading "foreign" works can provoke us to generate new ideas. It is not so important whether it will be the idea to write some work yourself or invent something new, or simply an idea-an impetus will come to solve a long-standing problem. The main thing is that these ideas can help change your life. And, perhaps, the lives of other people too.

2. Good mental health. According to scientists, reading can slow down and even prevent such serious problems as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. And all because when reading, the brain is constantly in good shape, it is active, that is, in fact, this is the same exercise for it that physical training is for the body. Those people who have read a lot in their lives, later begin to notice age-related deterioration in mental abilities and memory compared to "non-reading" peers.

In addition, the rhythm and richness of the book can calm the psyche and help the body get rid of stress. Now this is especially true, because a huge number of people experience stressful situations every day.

3. Confidence in yourself and your abilities. Researchers' observations have shown that reading books helps people become more confident. It is not surprising, because a well-read person is usually erudite, able to demonstrate fundamental knowledge in a particular area in a conversation, as a result of which he involuntarily begins to behave more collected and confident, his self-esteem is at an adequate level.

4. Increasing vocabulary and improving overall literacy. It probably doesn't take long to explain here. When reading works of various genres, a person often encounters unfamiliar words, terminology that is not usually used in everyday communication. You can look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary, or you can simply understand it from the context.

5. Good dream. According to researchers, systematic reading of pleasant literature before bedtime can improve sleep. And this is understandable, because the body gets used to such a regime, and soon reading becomes a signal for the body - going to bed is nearing. In addition, after such a soft falling asleep, you will be much more cheerful in the morning.

6. Improving attention and ability to concentrate. In the modern world, we are used to constantly combining several things, dividing attention between the Internet, telephone, communication with other people and a host of other things. But due to such a division, the quality of a particular process is often lost, the ability to concentrate on a single particularly important matter is lost. When reading, we are obliged to focus on the content of the book, not being distracted by everything else. In addition, reading books helps develop objectivity, the ability to make informed decisions.

7. The development of memory and thinking. According to scientists, people who read books regularly, at least for one hour a day, train and improve their memory. Naturally, every day they remember some new information for themselves. Those who “boil” every day in the same environment, information and ideas do not train their memory, and, therefore, are not able to remember more.

In addition, in order to understand the book and further unfold the plot, you need to remember many things: the characters of the characters, their relationships, and other details. This greatly trains both memory and thinking. When reading a book, we tend to reason more, to imagine a lot of details: the appearance of the characters, their clothes, the surrounding stop. All this helps us to fully understand the very idea of ​​the work, to feel it “taste”. Reading books develops analytical thinking. Reading people see and identify patterns many times faster than non-readers. Thanks to reading books, our mind becomes sharper, stronger and faster, brain connections are strengthened, and intelligence in general increases.

8. Development of sociability and empathy. Reading books also improves our speech skills, the ability to beautifully, clearly and clearly express our thoughts in words appears. The talent of the storyteller increases, communication becomes easier and easier. People who read are much more likely to be interesting conversationalists and impress people than those who don't list reading as their favorite things to do. Of course, because the first always have a lot of new topics for conversation, gleaned from literature.

In addition, reading can cultivate in a person a tendency to empathize with other people. There is a unique chance, as it were, to "be in the shoes" of another person, to look at the world through his eyes, to see his feelings and thoughts. Even (and even more so) if his world is very different from yours. A reading person stops looking at everything that happens from one point - he becomes able to better feel others and empathize with them.

9. Expanding horizons. Of course, books can give a person a huge amount of new knowledge! The world of a non-reader is usually small. After all, any other sources of information, even more popular ones, are capable of providing small grains of all the knowledge that is around you. Reading books reveals to a person all the greatness of the world, such as it really is.

People who do not like to read books live only one life - their own. Book lovers have free access to a huge number of lives of real and fictional characters, they can live with them their feelings and experience everything that they experienced. There is a unique chance to draw life experience and lessons from other people. This in no way interferes with the acquisition of your own experience - on the contrary, by observing cause-and-effect relationships in a particular work, you can warn yourself against making mistakes.

Also, reading books is the second most informative way (after traveling) to learn the culture and life of other peoples and countries. Reading literature about different countries helps to discover, in fact, a new world, here, in your comfortable chair, without crossing the threshold of the house.

10. Self improvement. Among other things, reading books can help a person understand himself, learn a lot about himself. He can find unexpected solutions, take a fresh look at his life. Putting yourself in the place of the hero of the work, and asking yourself the question: “What would I do in the place of this character?”, You can get an unexpected answer. And often even get a hint on practical aspects of behavior.

Reading books, a person eventually forms his own worldview, his view of the world deepens and expands, values, beliefs and principles are revised and formed. Many books are able to motivate and inspire self-realization, self-improvement, and increasing your results. In addition, a reading person remains young for a long time - after all, old age begins with aging of the brain, and this does not threaten an enthusiastic reader!

Of course, here we have named only the most popular reasons that encourage a person to read books. Surely you have your own secrets about this. Maybe you just love this meditative state, close to weightlessness, when you are absorbed by an interesting work. Or you're looking for story ideas for your new book. Everyone finds his own reasons that are important for him. The main thing is that the book should bring joy and pleasure, give strength and taste of magic. Is this not a miracle invented for the benefit of all mankind?

Anna Kutyavina

The ancient Egyptians were among the first to use writing. They used hieroglyphs denoting certain concepts, events. Egyptian writing made it possible to tell about the events very accurately and in detail, to record priestly rituals. Therefore, the Egyptians left many written monuments, according to which their civilization was studied. But for a simple peasant, a person who can read and write seemed like a real sage.

Why the one who could read and write seemed to be a sage

In all ancient civilizations, including the Egyptian one, the science of writing and reading were sacred. This means that they were directly connected with the cults of local gods. Writing and reading were inseparable from the worship of the gods.

Therefore, an important part of the texts is devoted to the performance of cult rituals, divine texts about the journey of souls after death, and so on. Accordingly, the only custodians of this knowledge were the priests.

Only over time, writing and reading became available to the aristocracy, engineers and architects. At the same time, it was the caste of priests that remained the guarantor of the purity of the letter, the observance of laws.

As a result, a person with writing skills was admitted to the secret priestly knowledge. And if he could read what was written, it made him a real sage. After all, he had access to the wisdom accumulated by generations of the priests of Egypt.

Why the ability to read and write did not spread among the common people

Such skills were monopolized by the priesthood. The simplest records could also be kept by officials in the service of the pharaohs. They took into account taxes, debts and kept other business records. Despite this, the ability to read and write was not widespread in ancient Egypt and was not available to ordinary people. There are several reasons for this:

• officials learned to write and read exclusively from the priests. Writing was their exclusive right and no one could encroach on it;
• the priests, in order to maintain their authority, kept the letter secret. This made them exceptional and irreplaceable;
• a person who could read and write could predict the floods of the Nile, an eclipse, knew the secrets of rituals.

Such a person was admitted to the incomprehensible, from the point of view of the peasants. Of course, in such conditions, the ability to read and write made him a real sage.

Why do people read? In order to keep abreast of literary novelties? Or, perhaps, in order to be able to quote the famous writer in time and witty? People are too busy today. You need to have time to build a career, while leaving time for your personal life. Why read books if you can read the summary and find wise sayings on one of the Internet sites?

Scientists have long proven that in order to maintain clarity of mind, it is necessary to do mental exercises throughout life. The easiest of them all is reading. Brain training is necessary for everyone: both adults and children; both young and old people. Do you need to read books? The question is rhetorical. However, in recent years, more and more people believe that reading is an unnecessary, meaningless activity.

Vocabulary replenishment

The word has magical power. Businessmen, marketers, teachers, politicians know about it. But far from all schoolchildren understand why such a subject as Russian literature is needed. Why read books? In order to get an "A" in a subject that is unlikely to be useful in the future? What is the use of reading books by Pushkin, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov? The fact is that it is very difficult to make a career without being able to express your thoughts beautifully and clearly. And such a skill is possible only with a rich vocabulary. This is the answer to the question of why read books. The vocabulary is replenished precisely thanks to literary works.

Why read books? First of all, in order to learn how to express your thoughts well. Tongue-tiedness is a shortcoming that can become a serious obstacle to career growth. Reading works of Russian and foreign literature is necessary not only for the future philologist, but also for those who plan to connect their lives with the exact sciences.

A rich vocabulary is especially needed for businessmen. They often have to participate in negotiations, convey their point of view to partners or subordinates. A businessman who speaks in abrupt sentences, with difficulty connecting a few words, does not inspire confidence. In addition, erudition and a rich vocabulary give confidence, and without it it is difficult to realize oneself in any field.

Communication

People are different. One prefers solitude, the other cannot spend a day without communication. Man is a social being. Therefore, even a lover of loneliness from time to time needs communication, understanding. Complete indifference to the opinions of others is, according to psychiatrists, a sign of a personality disorder. Each person, to one degree or another, strives to be liked, to be understood.

Only our loved ones know about our rich inner world. The rest have to be impressed with the same word, which, no doubt, has a truly magical power. Good storytellers are popular and respected by others. They are trusted, they are trusted. Of course, not every person who has read dozens of books is eloquent and convincing. But for someone who underestimates the benefits of reading, it is very difficult to win the favor of others.

My favorite book

Reading relieves depression. Many of us in our school years wrote an essay “My favorite book”. There are works that you want to return to again and again. Someone on a bookshelf has a novel "Chapaev and the Void" read to the holes. Someone can read out excerpts from The Master and Margarita by heart. Perhaps somewhere there is a person who will not be able to fall asleep without reading a few pages from the famous "Capital", created by a German philosopher. Your favorite book is the blues remedy that's right for you. Reading it, you abstract from the surrounding reality, which, unfortunately, so often upsets.

Favorite artwork relieves stress, relaxes, frees from unhappy thoughts. True, not everyone has a favorite book. In our country, which 20-30 years ago was considered the most read in the world, more and more people appear who are only interested in posts on social networks or ads on advertising sites. Such people deprive themselves of the pleasure that is impossible to get when watching a movie and even when listening to an audiobook.

Memory Development

Many have heard of such a terrible medical diagnosis as Alzheimer's disease. According to the results of the study, effective methods of preventing this disease are reading and memorizing poetry. This, of course, does not guarantee clarity of mind in old age - heredity and other factors play a significant role. Still, reading fiction, learning poetry, learning foreign languages ​​- all these activities can increase brain activity in good shape, improve its condition, and therefore reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Development of creative abilities

Regular reading is necessary not only for those whose work is directly related to communication. This activity brings great benefits to representatives of creative professions. The designer draws, creates graphic images with the help of special programs. It would seem, what role does reading fiction play in his work? You can get a lot of interesting ideas from books. Reading, as you know, broadens one's horizons, and therefore is of great benefit in any creative process.

Independence of thought

The lack of own opinion is inherent in many. It is difficult to maintain independence of judgment, to ignore the point of view of a more authoritative, respected person. It is problematic for a person to form his own opinion under the influence of others, the media and other sources. This is especially difficult for those who do not read much.

The more a person knows, the more often he doubts the veracity of the information provided by television, the Internet, and the press. Reading literature, both fiction and journalistic, makes consciousness self-sufficient, independent. But it is very easy for individuals with a closed worldview to inspire a false truth, to impose a false point of view.

Ability to understand and feel people

A person who has rich life experience, already a few minutes after communicating with a new interlocutor, is able to form an opinion about him. This is knowledge of human psychology. But not each of us has the opportunity to regularly make new acquaintances, thereby enriching our life experience.

The characters of Dostoevsky, Gogol, Tolstoy, Turgenev existed in the 19th century. But this does not mean that the Raskolnikovs, Chichikovs, Bezukhovs, Bazarovs have died out. They are among us. Perhaps they just speak a little differently and are dressed differently. It is worth taking advantage of the life experience of Russian classics. Their works are a storehouse of simple human wisdom.

humanity, humanity

Look around. Perhaps, somewhere nearby, an unfortunate little man, reminiscent of Gogol's Akaki Akakievich. He is undeservedly offended and offended. Although the name is quite euphonious, but instead of an overcoat he has a solid sheepskin coat. The great classics, not only of Russian, but also of foreign literature, did not try to entertain their readers. They sought to make them think. Reading classical literature forms a special worldview, although it does not guarantee purity of thoughts and high morality.

What to read

It's never too late to develop. Some manage to discover the wonderful world of literature already in adulthood. In addition, few works of the school curriculum are understandable to teenagers. So, the suffering of Anna Karenina at the age of fifteen may seem far-fetched, and the tragedy of Raskolnikov is completely incomprehensible.

What should be read? Books about the future? Or works created in the 18th and 19th centuries? Books about the future are written, as a rule, in simple language. Whereas the heroes of Dostoevsky and Gogol sometimes express themselves very extensively. You need to read works of various genres and eras. However, it is desirable to avoid second-rate literature. The list of books that everyone should read includes the following works:

• "The Brothers Karamazov" F. Dostoevsky.
• "Anna Karenina" L. Tolstoy.
• "The stationmaster" A. Pushkin.
• "Lady with a dog" A. Chekhov.
• "Master and Margarita" M. Bulgakov.
• "The Picture of Dorian Grey". O. Wilde.
• "Martin Eden" J. London.

As for science fiction, which is so popular today, the best representatives of this genre are: The Strugatsky Brothers, Stanislav Lem, HG Wells, Ray Bradbury.

Sage- the one who is guided by knowledge. Here why a man who can read and write seemed to the Egyptians a sage. The wisdom of the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt has echoes in the modern era. Until now, the materials of that time are taken as the basis for many teachings, actions and rituals. Civilization, which gave us its precious knowledge, has long been dissolved in the universe, but its legacy has left an imprint in the hearts and souls of modern people.

Fundamentals of Ancient Egyptian Enlightenment

Enlightenment is the process of absorbing specific knowledge in compliance with human interests, the interests of social society, and state foundations, the result of which is obtaining a certain level of education established by the state.

A strong and powerful state - Ancient Egypt - existed for 3-4 millennia. During its formation, this powerful civilization went through the periods of the formation of the first cities, the emergence of writing, the formation of an internal culture, the unification of a single indestructible state.

The language that the Egyptians knew is one of the separate branches of the Afroasian language system, which has a separate script: it is based on hieroglyphs. At the beginning of the origin of hieroglyphs, they could denote both a single letter and a whole object. There were about 700-1000 characters and thousands of their combinations to denote individual phrases. During the Middle Kingdom period, the Egyptian writing system was simplified, and a hieratic direction appeared, in which the symbol denoted a letter and corresponded to the sound of speech. There was a direction of cursive writing that allows you to document many events daily. At the same time, the usual spelling of hieroglyphs was preserved, but it had an exclusively sacred meaning; ritual and official texts were written with them.

Principles of education and training in ancient Egypt

Egyptian families had many children: from five to seven. The priority was the boys - the successors of the family. Girls also remained no less beloved children, especially since they could later be successfully married off. Until the age of 5-7, the children were raised by their mother. Children were given freedom of action, while following the strict canons of religious and cultural education gave the necessary results, and children's minds absorbed the principles of behavior of others, taking it as a basis. There were many games that gave the child impetus for development: ball games, swimming in the Nile or pools, toys - wooden and mechanical, as well as a popular intellectual game - senet (reminiscent of modern backgammon). Education from the state - school - was provided only for boys. They were taught writing, religion, history, literature, reading, mathematics, and ethics. At the same time, not only the school gave children knowledge - the family, a cell of society, filled the minds of children with the rules of being and actions, fathers gave wise instructions to children. At the same time, the children of the pharaohs were trained separately in the palace, and the level of their education was much higher than the level of education of the children of ordinary citizens, "mere mortals." It is worth noting that the daughters of royalty were trained on an equal basis with boys - there was no categorical division by sex in education among royalty.

Two ways of writing were studied in schools: hieroglyphic and hieratic. They wrote not on papyrus (due to its high cost), but on fragments of dishes and stones. After mastering the theoretical foundations, the children proceeded directly to writing texts, first rewriting them, and then the texts were dictated by the teacher. The texts could be different: stories, poems, business letters, sayings of the sages, individual words.

At the age of 12-14, boys were traditionally considered to be men who had to decide on a profession, marry and provide for their family. And the girls became wonderful housewives, who had to leave their father's house and move to their husband forever.

After graduating from school, men could continue their father's work: whether it was handicrafts, writing skills, healing, government work, but they could continue their education, remaining at the temple. Then they became priests - doctors or magicians. There was also the opportunity to go to serve in the army - this prospect seduced many, despite the strict discipline, there was a real opportunity to rise to a high rank and earn a fortune. Those who remained further at the state school were waiting for the profession of a clerk or official. The latter learned by heart many texts of sacred significance. Moreover, they were obliged to know everything that was necessary in the work.

Wise men are teachers who know the truth

So why did a person who can read and write seem to the Egyptians a sage? It's simple - there were few such people in those days. Knowledge was a great value, not available to everyone. A person who possessed Knowledge was revered, he was respected and feared. Wise men were called people with a wide heart and a penetrating mind. Their creations were written to awaken the spirit and open the heart. They were able to make the right decisions and do the right things. The close proximity to the gods allowed them to go through life along the same path with Wisdom and Knowledge. The sages were able not to submit to ignorance and teach people the truth, knowledge of the meaning of existence. Were not born wise. Wisdom came with hard work and perseverance.

Those who comprehended the basics of writing and knew how to read, were considered truly wise, because it was they who could perpetuate the meaning of their reasoning in a letter for centuries and read the writings of other sages: “A man dies, his body becomes dust, all his contemporaries have also turned to dust; and his inscriptions make it possible to remember the one who reads about him. There is more use in writing than in a built house or a western tomb. It is better than a magnificent castle or temple.”

Sage- the one who is guided by knowledge. Herewhy a man who can read and write seemed to the Egyptians a sage. The wisdom of the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt has echoes in the modern era. Until now, the materials of that time are taken as the basis for many teachings, actions and rituals. Civilization, which gave us its precious knowledge, has long been dissolved in the universe, but its legacy has left an imprint in the hearts and souls of modern people.

Fundamentals of Ancient Egyptian Enlightenment

Enlightenment is the process of absorbing specific knowledge in compliance with human interests, the interests of social society, and state foundations, the result of which is obtaining a certain level of education established by the state.

A strong and powerful state - Ancient Egypt - existed for 3-4 millennia. During its formation, this powerful civilization went through the periods of the formation of the first cities, the emergence of writing, the formation of an internal culture, the unification of a single indestructible state.

The language that the Egyptians knew is one of the separate branches of the Afroasian language system, which has a separate script: it is based on hieroglyphs. At the beginning of the origin of hieroglyphs, they could denote both a single letter and a whole object. There were about 700-1000 characters and thousands of their combinations to denote individual phrases. During the Middle Kingdom period, the Egyptian writing system was simplified, and a hieratic direction appeared, in which the symbol denoted a letter and corresponded to the sound of speech. There was a direction of cursive writing that allows you to document many events daily. At the same time, the usual spelling of hieroglyphs was preserved, but it had an exclusively sacred meaning; ritual and official texts were written with them.

Principles of education and training in ancient Egypt

Egyptian families had many children: from five to seven. The priority was the boys - the successors of the family. Girls also remained no less beloved children, especially since they could later be successfully married off. Until the age of 5-7, the children were raised by their mother. Children were given freedom of action, while following the strict canons of religious and cultural education gave the necessary results, and children's minds absorbed the principles of behavior of others, taking it as a basis. There were many games that gave the child impetus for development: ball games, swimming in the Nile or pools, toys - wooden and mechanical, as well as a popular intellectual game - senet (reminiscent of modern backgammon). Education from the state - school - was provided only for boys. They were taught writing, religion, history, literature, reading, mathematics, and ethics. At the same time, not only the school gave children knowledge - the family, a cell of society, filled the minds of children with the rules of being and actions, fathers gave wise instructions to children. At the same time, the children of the pharaohs were trained separately in the palace, and the level of their education was much higher than the level of education of the children of ordinary citizens, "mere mortals." It is worth noting that the daughters of royalty were trained on an equal basis with boys - there was no categorical division by sex in education among royalty.

Two ways of writing were studied in schools: hieroglyphic and hieratic. They wrote not on papyrus (due to its high cost), but on fragments of dishes and stones. After mastering the theoretical foundations, the children proceeded directly to writing texts, first rewriting them, and then the texts were dictated by the teacher. The texts could be different: stories, poems, business letters, sayings of the sages, individual words.

At the age of 12-14, boys were traditionally considered to be men who had to decide on a profession, marry and provide for their family. And the girls became wonderful housewives, who had to leave their father's house and move to their husband forever.

After graduating from school, men could continue their father's work: whether it was handicrafts, writing skills, healing, government work, but they could continue their education, remaining at the temple. Then they became priests - doctors or magicians. There was also the opportunity to go to serve in the army - this prospect seduced many, despite the strict discipline, there was a real opportunity to rise to a high rank and earn a fortune. Those who remained further at the state school were waiting for the profession of a clerk or official. The latter learned by heart many texts of sacred significance. Moreover, they were obliged to know everything that was necessary in the work.

Wise men are teachers who know the truth

So why did a person who can read and write seem to the Egyptians a sage? It's simple - there were few such people in those days. Knowledge was a great value, not available to everyone. A person who possessed Knowledge was revered, he was respected and feared. Wise men were called people with a wide heart and a penetrating mind. Their creations were written to awaken the spirit and open the heart. They were able to make the right decisions and do the right things. The close proximity to the gods allowed them to go through life along the same path with Wisdom and Knowledge. The sages were able not to submit to ignorance and teach people the truth, knowledge of the meaning of existence. Were not born wise. Wisdom came with hard work and perseverance.

Those who comprehended the basics of writing and knew how to read, were considered truly wise, because it was they who could perpetuate the meaning of their reasoning in a letter for centuries and read the writings of other sages: “A man dies, his body becomes dust, all his contemporaries have also turned to dust; and his inscriptions make it possible to remember the one who reads about him. There is more use in writing than in a built house or a western tomb. It is better than a magnificent castle or temple.”