As we know, study can make a full man, can cultivate a man, and can make a man move forward. In my opinion, a full man should have a positive world view and adopt an active philosophy of life, which are usually based on a balanced knowledge structure. And how can we obtain those? Studies are the answer to that question. After I read Francis Bacon’s Of Studies, I know that the essay introduces some methods of reading books and discusses the purposes and functions of reading. This essay also analyzes the different attitudes of the people who are reading books.
Francis Bacon’s Of Studies says “Histories make men wise, poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend.” That is to say, we read all kinds of books that contribute to perfect our knowledge structure and form critical thinking. So we should read books of various fields to make us be a full man. That also can learn more about our world in all aspects.
Reading can make a full man. That is to say, we should read more books which are useful for us. Reading can enlarge our knowledge in different fields. From Of Studies, studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. It means that studies can make people happy, wise, increasing knowledge. If we read all kinds of books, in that way, we are able to taste what might not happen to us in real life, and then ask ourselves what we would do in that situation.
We read more books and fewer mistakes would be made by us. For that, we can learn more mistake examples from books so that we will make few mistakes in the future.
Of Studies also teach us that we should choose some book to read, but not read all the books. Some useful books should be read carefully and taken notes. Different books have different functions, the essay is told us read different books can bring different knowledge which we lack. The essay says that different books have different methods to read.
All in all, reading books of certain field brings certain knowledge and ability we lack. Of Studies gives us the method of reading books and getting knowledge. It is also telling us different books have different functions for us.