Topic: It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
ESSAY

There has been a hot debate as to which method of gaining knowledge is more important: through books or through experience. Although most people will say that acquiring knowledge from experience proves to be more effective, I myself believe learning from books plays a more important role. To begin with, there is no deny that the information in books has been scientifically proved, and thus correct and widely accepted by the public at a particular time. In order to be written in the books, the knowledge is usually the result of exhaustive research and experiment of previous generations; therefore, learning from books will reduce the time that students use to do the experiments by themselves. This knowledge is particularly important for those who want to be successful in schools, colleges and even jobs. As the matter of fact, from primary school to University, books are completely indispensable for students as they provide the fundamental knowledge required to develop people’s ability. As for jobs, books remain the best choice when it comes to giving information needed in order to perform well in a particular profession. Secondly, from academic reading, people will improve their knowledge in various aspects much faster than from experience. Nowadays, it is very easy to buy books at reasonable price and there are many kinds of books that provide readers with information in almost all subjects including sports, science and culture. Academic reading proves to be more convenient than experience as there are several aspects of knowledge that cannot be acquired through means of practical experience. We cannot travel back in time to be in a past historical event in order to know about it. People usually say it is best to travel to a country in order to know more about the culture of that place. However, without money or time, it would be advisable to read books related to that country. Moreover, the development of Internet and E-books has also greatly increased the availability of books, which allows readers to improve knowledge more than before. While some may say it is much better to learn from experience as doing experiments by ourselves, as well as making mistakes, tends to leave a longer impression on our mind, I believe it is not always the case. Even if people remember longer when they themselves make mistakes, humans’ memory still has its flaw when the time people forget the experience comes. It should be noted that some experiment, particularly in science, will definitely require time, money and effort, and even impose great danger on our life. We cannot touch acid or electricity to know it can cause danger to us. Such knowledge should be gained from academic reading. In conclusion, in spite of most people’s favor in experience, books still have their advantages over experience. Knowledge from books will continue to prove its importance if people want to be successful in jobs and life.