[duncan-donuts]

> It’s not about the wisdom we glean. It’s about what wisdom we grow.

I think the author does a good job of actually testing the original point—questioning if all but a handful of books are a worthless distraction. I think the entire piece has almost nothing to do with prayer. The monks are used as a thought experiment around the value of thought for the sake of thought.

[mewpmewp2]

Okay, I guess I misunderstood the article. What is the takeaway?

[theptip]

Spending time and energy to engage in reading a book can change the way you think, and subsequently change your interpretation of the text.

A good book is not just a bag of facts, but a tool to change your cognitive processes.

[coldtea]

>What is the takeaway?

That we should not take shortcuts and expect we'll gain anything by exchanging an extended treatment of a subject with a distilled short talking point.