Some read to think, these are rare; some to write, these are common; and some read to talk, and these form the great majority.
When in reading we meet with any maxim that may be of use, we should take it for our own, and make an immediate application of it, as we would of the advice of a friend whom we have purposely consulted.
Many books require no thought from those who read them, and for a very simple reason; they made no such demand upon those who wrote them.