I beleive there is a difference between Books of Facts at one end of a continuum, which has at its other end Books of Ideas. Books of Facts are timely. Books of Facts are a recital of and a recounting of information concerning a specific endeavor or occurrence. Textbooks on Physics, Astronomy, Psychology, or any other science are Book of Facts. It is a listing of what we, as humans within in the community of scientist, know about a given topic at the time of the writing of the book. These books are timely in that they need to constantly be updated to keep up with current discoveries to continually be accurate in their presentation. They are stating what is known about the topic, what is currently understood about the topic, and what currently is believed about the topic. This is of course the current idea that frames the past and newly discovered facts. As science advances, as new techniques and equipment is made and used, new facts are discovered and thus new information and insight into that topic is uncovered. Books such as these become outdated depending on the rapidity of the endeavor's in that field of knowledge. The older book becomes almost useless in its purpose; the facts and understandings of the significance of those facts have changed with the passage of time and new efforts in that field. Old Books of Facts become of interest in the study of the history of that field. On the other end of the continuum are Books of Ideas. Book of ideas are timeless. These books may have within them certain facts and understandings of those facts, but the information and facts in these books play a supportive role, not a primary role. The author uses facts to illustrate a point, an idea. The authors use facts as components of metaphors rather than as bits of data that can be considered true or false. The Book of Ideas presents a theory. The Book of Ideas presents a way of looking at our world, a worldview. The Book of Ideas puts our world into a perspective and context by which we can understand ourselves. The Book of Ideas shapes our human world, and could changes forever the nature of that world. On the continuum of Static and Dynamic: Facts are the static end and Ideas are the Dynamic end. On the continuum of External and Internal: Facts are at the external end and Ideas are on the Internal end. On the Continuum of Timeless and Timely: Facts are at the Timeless end and Ideas are at the Timely end. On the continuum of Parts and Wholes: Facts are the parts out of which we build the Whole that is the Idea. Therefore a Fact once noticed will lie forever in static certainty, a foundation upon which to build. Ideas will flit in and out. Ideas are in a seemingly constant state of flux. Ideas seemingly are in and out of fashion and usefulness. Ideas are the protean forge by which we discover the significance and meaning that lies hidden in those static timeless Facts. Facts can be tested with Aristotelian logic's tool of 100% true or false. Specific formulations presented as a hypothesis based upon an idea can also be tested with Aristotelian logic's tool of 100% true or false. But an idea is a source of inspiration. It is a fountainhead. An idea once realized and conceptualized continues to bring forth new hypothesis, which beg to be tested. Each new hypothesis needs to be tested by Aristotelian logic. An idea that consistently brings forth invalid hypothesis may ultimately be judged. Such an idea can then be considered invalid or at least irrelevant. But, a failure of one formulated hypothesis does not demonstrate that the idea itself is false or useless. A parent can have many children and not all of them may turn out to make a monumental contribution to the greater good of society. But all children participate in society. One small act today can affect someone or something that creates a subtle small shift that lays the foundation for recognizing something new tomorrow. An idea as a source of inspiration is, in this way, forever serves a purpose and forever demonstrates its usefulness. Ideas can forever challenge us. Ideas are not things that are quantitative. Ideas are not 100% anything. They are not 100% true or 100% false. Ideas are things, which are qualitative. Ideas should be evaluated by the tools of 'more or less'. The difference between a good idea or a bad idea is their relevance, their utility. Ideas come out of the nexus of goodness, truthfulness and beauty. Facts are neither good nor beautiful. Facts, if carefully constructed can be found to be true or false. But in reality facts can be said to exist because an idea points out a relationship that makes examining something important. Ideas determine importance and significance. Ideas create importance and significances. Facts are the result of an idea. Facts are created out of the stuff of life when an idea says: "Look at this." Or "Look over there." Facts are bits of information that are looked for because an idea says that the fact should be found. Ideas come first. Facts are the by-product of how ideas operate. Facts are found by ideas. Many facts are based on, or are, direct observations made by the senses or the extended senses using varying instruments that augment the senses. Facts are closest to sensory data. Ideas are farther from the grounding of the senses. Ideas are the realization of the interaction of sensory Facts. Ideas are constructed out of the linguistic model of metaphors and the artistic model of symbols. Both metaphors and symbols can be interpreted and re-interpreted by each individual and each generation for meaning and significance. Those metaphors and symbols themselves can be, and are, static and dynamic. At the dynamic end they are protean and in flux, a source of inspiration and newness. As they become more static, more formally formulated with words they become beliefs. And in becoming a belief they have a tendency to become driven into our unconscious and become the forging and shaping force of our 'rose colored glasses'. If that belief becomes extremely static, if it becomes the defining construct for determining who or what belongs, then that idea has become a dogma. The varying sacred texts upon which religions have been created are Books of Ideas. These texts contain ideas that were made into culturally fundamental ideas. Such insights are so fundamental that their relevance is timeless. Their ideas and insights are forever significant. These books, like all Books of Ideas, are the product of a specific time, place and author but the ideas presented go beyond that time, place and author. These books, like the ideas they embody, never go out of date, but they can and do, go out of fashion. Or can become irrelevant. Then the idea sits in the cultural discard bin like a ticking bomb or a seed. Waiting to explode or be re-born. An idea always contains the ability to impact our thinking and our experience of the world. There are some Books of Ideas that the people of a culture feel that the ideas so resonate with that culture's beliefs concerning its place in the cosmos that the idea becomes taken up and integrated into the collection of ideas that determine and define that culture. These Books have become so important they cannot be ignored or overlooked. Then there are other Books of Ideas that do not strike the same chord. Like a tune that was catchy, cute, or fun but had no depth. Such ideas, and the books that present them, become seemingly irrelevant. They become of interest to the historian of the culture but not significant in the shaping of that culture. Books of ideas are seeds waiting for fertile soil. Ideas are at the heart and source of all things. Ideas are tools of the mind; they are keys to understand the making of humanly constructed reality. They are like a compass that could guide us in our journey into the high country of the mystics, the prophets and all those who were instruments of the Divine in conveying the teachings, the wisdom and the knowledge of and from the Divine. The Divine is the source of Infinite input that our finite mind, our tools, struggles to manifest into finite output.