Americans admire the self-made man, the man who, with neither money nor family influence fights his way to the top. Lincoln was born of poor parents. His mother died when he was young. The shack in which he and his father lived, one winter, had only three walls; the fourth side was open to the weather. He had little opportunity for schooling. Most of his early study was done by himself, at night, by the light of a fireplace. He did hard manual labor through the day. But as he grew older he studied law in his spare time and set up practice. His ability finally made a name for him and eventually he became President of the United States.

Americans admire the self-made man, the man who, with neither money nor family influence fights his way to the top. Lincoln was born of poor parents. His mother died when he was young. The shack in which he and his father lived, one winter, had only three walls; the fourth side was open to the weather. He had little opportunity for schooling. Most of his early study was done by himself, at night, by the light of a fireplace. He did hard manual labor through the day. But as he grew older he studied law in his spare time and set up practice. His ability finally made a name for him and eventually he became President of the United States.

Americans admire the self-made man, the man who, with neither money nor family influence fights his way to the top. Lincoln was born of poor parents. His mother died when he was young. The shack in which he and his father lived, one winter, had only three walls; the fourth side was open to the weather. He had little opportunity for schooling. Most of his early study was done by himself, at night, by the light of a fireplace. He did hard manual labor through the day. But as he grew older he studied law in his spare time and set up practice. His ability finally made a name for him and eventually he became President of the United States.

Speech enables man to manage and exchange ideas, and it also allows him to collect ideas. Once spoken and heard by another, an idea gains lasting qualities. Speech and writing permit man to gather together thousands of years of ideas. A young chimpanzee can obtain information only from those it associates with, but a human child can inherit all the knowledge that has been gathered for two million years. Man learns from the past and builds on it. The ape learns from the present and repeats it. If man were as unable as the ape to exchange ideas, he too would still be building nests in the trees.

Speech enables man to manage and exchange ideas, and it also allows him to collect ideas. Once spoken and heard by another, an idea gains lasting qualities. Speech and writing permit man to gather together thousands of years of ideas. A young chimpanzee can obtain information only from those it associates with, but a human child can inherit all the knowledge that has been gathered for two million years. Man learns from the past and builds on it. The ape learns from the present and repeats it. If man were as unable as the ape to exchange ideas, he too would still be building nests in the trees.

Speech enables man to manage and exchange ideas, and it also allows him to collect ideas. Once spoken and heard by another, an idea gains lasting qualities. Speech and writing permit man to gather together thousands of years of ideas. A young chimpanzee can obtain information only from those it associates with, but a human child can inherit all the knowledge that has been gathered for two million years. Man learns from the past and builds on it. The ape learns from the present and repeats it. If man were as unable as the ape to exchange ideas, he too would still be building nests in the trees.