"Just as the largest library, badly arranged, is not so useful as a very moderate one that is well arranged, so the greatest amount of knowledge, if not elaborated by our own thoughts, is worth much less than a far smaller volume that has been abundantly and repeatedly thought over. For only by universally combining what we know, by comparing every truth with every other, do we fully assimilate our own knowledge and get it into our power. We can think over only what we know, and so we should learn something; but we know only what we have thought out."
I have ordered the following books that I have already read. Even though I forget everything about them, I know they were important. I feel like I need to read them again.
The Nature and Growth of Modern Mathematics
A History of Civilizations
The Invention of Africa
Man Against Mass Society
For whatever reason, I feel like these should provide a good foundation to build from.
Maybe I'll start Zotero again. Losing all that other stuff was unfortunate but sometimes you just have to start again. At least I synthesized it into something that I can work from.
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