This quote by Benjamin Disraeli is a suggestion that knowledge and understanding of people can not be gotten exclusively from books. Books can provide us with details, however they can not provide us with the insight and understanding of individuals that comes from experience. To truly understand individuals, we should observe and engage with them personally. We need to be willing to listen to their stories, comprehend their viewpoints, and learn from their experiences. Books can supply us with a foundation of knowledge, however it is up to us to utilize that understanding to acquire a much deeper understanding of individuals. We should want to make the effort to be familiar with individuals and learn from them. Only then can we genuinely learn about individuals.