Who said “Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful…”?

Verified

Samuel Johnson. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceFrom Sir John Hawkins's Life of Johnson, Apothegms (1787)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: From Sir John Hawkins's Life of Johnson, Apothegms (1787).

APA

Johnson, S. (n.d.). Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2491-books-that-you-may-carry-to-the-fire/

MLA

Johnson, Samuel. “Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2491-books-that-you-may-carry-to-the-fire/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Johnson, Samuel. “Books that you may carry to the fire, and hold readily in your hand, are the most useful after all.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/2491-books-that-you-may-carry-to-the-fire/.