Chapter Fourteen

And Still More Rules

    In this book，we have known a lot of rules. As a matter of fact，we don't like them. Maybe we are pusure freedom.

sunshine in winter like warm sunlight

    However，what we want to do or where we are，we must abide by rules of their own，especially in studying，just like this book. In any art or fied of practice，rules have a disappointing way of being too general. We can not read a book in general as every particular book is of particular sort so that we must use these rules flexibility and adaptability.

not all rules are good rules

    Practical book can never solve the practical problems with which it is concerned. A theoretical book can solve its own problems. Questions about the nature of something can be answered completely in a book. But a practical pronlem can only be solved by action itself. This book is a practical book，but most of us are not interested in it even if we want to solve the problem of learning to read.

  Every action takes place in particular situation，always in the here and now and under these special circumstances which requires us to solve problem according to their conditions. The readers also must add something to the book to make it applicable in practice when read a book.

become better and better

  Any book which contains rules－prescriptions，maxims，or any sort of general directions－you will readily recognize as a practical book. But a practical book may contain more than rules.

A stitch in time saves nine.                及时行事，事半功倍。                        小洞不补，大洞吃苦。

    A practical book is not read as practical. To fail to read a practical book as practical is to read it poorly.

    when read practical book，we should ask ourself two questions：what are the author's objectives？and what means is he proposing?

  The person who reads a practical book intelligently，who knows its basic terms，propositions and arguements，will always be able to detect its oratory.

History book is a combination of knowledge and poety.

All of great historical works ate narratives. They tell a story，any story must have a plot and characters. It must have episodes，complications of action，a climax，and aftermath. There are difference between a good and a bad story. History may be stranger than fiction，but the his torian has to make what happened appear plausible，nevertheless.

The historian may have some general interpretation of the facts he is narrating.

Prosperity never continues long in one place.                                                Every dog has its day.