Today is International Day of Education, and Weedless Wednesday. We have a book for each event.
For International Day of Education, I have an aptly named book “A Student’s History of Education” by Frank Pierrepont Graves, 1917. This is a very interesting book about the study of education. It has three volumes in one: 1) Ancient Times; 2) During the Middle Ages and Transition to Modern Times, and; 3) In Modern Times. It describes why Plato and Socrates studied and taught the way the did, on through changes in styles and information up to the modern times.
There is informative story of Friederich Wilhelm August Froebel (1782-1852). He said “all school education was yet without a proper initial foundation, and that, until the education of the nursery was reformed, nothing solid and worthy could be attained.” In Blankenburg, Germany, Froebel established a school for children three to seven, christened ‘Kindergarten” (i.e., garden in which childeren are the unfolding plants.)
For Weedless Wednesday, I have “Effects of Alcoholic Drinks, Tobacco, Sedatives, and Narcotics” by Thurman Rice and Rolla Harger, 1949. The authors state at the beginning:
“Manufacture and sales of these commodities are sources of income for large numbers of people; the use of them gives much enjoyment to a very large portion of the population; the taxes derived from these products are useful to the government. That is a positive. On the other side, must be entered, the possibility of habit formation; the worry and anxiety of the members of the family of the users; the increased cost of public institutions occasioned by the necessity for taking care of those who use alcohol and drugs to excess. The problem is large; it is complicated; and it stirs deep emotional responses.”
There is also an interesting fact stating “there is enough ‘brown material’ in a pipe stem, which includes enough nicotine to kill a rabbit if a drop or two is placed in the animal’s tongue.”
While I am not preaching for or against the addiction of smoking, I will say that I have bought five books in the last four weeks to supplement my library. I had to. Can’t stop. Keep reading.
p.s. It is National Library Shelfie Day.
Librarytomes 