Anyway, back then, for me reading was more important than anything else. It goes without saying, but there are tons of books that are much more exciting than any textbook. As I turned the pages of those books, I had a vivid, physical sensation, as if the content was becoming part of my flesh and blood. That’s why I couldn’t buckle down to study for exams. I couldn’t see how mechanically cramming information into my head—historical dates, English vocabulary words, and the like—was going to be of any use in the future. Technical knowledge that’s memorized mechanically, not systematically, will,
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