Someone once asked me "what is the most important thing your mom taught you?" That answer was easy.... how to READ! I was reading at age 4 and reading newspapers at age 5. Anything I could get my hands on that had print I read, the backs of the flour sacks, the labels on clothing, etc. you have to realize when I was young there were not many options on the old farm and even the newspaper was only brought to the house once a week. I learned to read and never stopped. I've raised my kids with the old phrase "if you can read you can do and/or be what ever you want in life". It is all there in print if you know where to look.

In highschool I cut a lot of classes, but only because the high school library was so limited on material, I'd cut class and they would find me at the county library some several blocks away. I became good friends with the librarian and if she didn't have the books I was looking for she would order them for me.

I have to admit that the online digital versions are great for doing research BUT there is nothing that holds a candle to the great writings of old that we simply don't have access to online. I've moved many times though out life and the hardest part is packing up and transporting my books. People shy away from helping me anymore when I ask them to help move me.... LOL they say, but books are SO HEAVY!

One of my favorite all time book publishers are those at healthresearchbooks.com If a book is out of print, they will print it for me. A great place to visit if you are ever in the area of Pomeroy, Wa. Nikki Jones owns it. She had never intended to get into the book publishing business until her father passed away, he was a publisher. When she went to gather his belongings what she found in the old barn was a stockpile of information that changed her mind. Within some of the old boxes she found piles of information of Wall Street journals (all done by hand in the first days of their operation) She decided to find a place to create a publishing company.

Not only is she great company and the staff so helpful, but the smells of old books and printer's ink makes it a wonderful place to visit. We have simply lost a vast amount of knowledge from not having some of these great works available and I would recommend anyone that wants to learn the truth about the past, dig in and be ready to have your mind blown. :)