If you are able to bear reading, will you allow me to take the liberty
of recommending you a book? The fact is I have been so astonished and
delighted with the perusal of Spencer's works that I think it a duty to
society to recommend them to all my friends who I think can appreciate
them. The one I particularly refer to now is "Social Statics," a book
which is by no means hard to read; it is even amusing, and owing to the
wonderful clearness of its style may be read and understood by anyone. I
think, therefore, as it is quite distinct from your special studies at
present, you might consider it as "light literature," and I am pretty
sure it would interest you more than a great deal of what is now
considered very good. I am utterly astonished that so few people seem to
read Spencer, and the utter ignorance there seems to be among
politicians and political economists of the grand views and logical
stability of his works. He appears to me as far ahead of John Stuart
Mill as J.S.M. is of the rest of the world, and, I may add, as Darwin is
of Agassiz. The range of his knowledge is no less than its accuracy.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242