賽繆爾·斯邁爾斯的這些作品在全球暢銷一百多年而不衰，改變了億萬人民的命運(yùn)，對(duì)近代以來西方社會(huì)的道德風(fēng)尚產(chǎn)生了很大的影響。正如英國《觀察家》雜志的評(píng)論所說：“斯邁爾斯先生為人類的社會(huì)生活貢獻(xiàn)了非常優(yōu)秀的精神食糧。他以犀利而又睿智的筆調(diào)向我們揭示了人生的目標(biāo)、生活的目的、生命的服從、生活的激情、生命的力量、良心的自由、信仰的偉大等人生的真諦，把上蒼賦予我們的脆弱的自然生命塑造并升華成了具有高貴品格和堅(jiān)強(qiáng)意志的精神生命�！�1998年，倫敦《金融時(shí)報(bào)》發(fā)表紀(jì)念斯邁爾斯的社論，認(rèn)為“同其他各種形形色色的理論家相比，賽繆爾·斯邁爾斯先生將帶領(lǐng)人類更加健康地進(jìn)入21世紀(jì)。”斯邁爾斯的《自己拯救自己》這套叢書因此被譽(yù)為“跨越時(shí)空的永恒經(jīng)典，澤被后世的心靈福音”和“個(gè)人奮斗的精神標(biāo)本，高貴情操的良知堡壘”。

其《Companionship of Books》（《書友》或譯作《以書為友》、《與書為友》）這篇文章成為英文傳誦經(jīng)典，收錄在新東方背誦文選集《生而為贏·新東方英語背誦美文30篇》中。

附《書友》：

Companionship of Books（書友）

A man may usually be known by the books he reads as well as by the company he keeps; for there is a companionship of books as well as of men; and one should always live in the best company, whether it be of books or of men.

A good book may be among the best of friends. It is the same today that it always was, and it will never change. It is the most patient and cheerful of companions. It does not turn its back upon us in times of adversity or distress. It always receives us with the same kindness; amusing and instructing us in youth, and comforting and consoling us in age.

Men often discover their affinity to each other by the love they have each for a book --- just as two persons sometimes discover a friend by the admiration which both have for a third. There is an old proverb, “Love me, love my dog.” But there is more wisdom in this:“Love me, love my book.” The book is a truer and higher bond of union. Men can think, feel, and sympathize with each other through their favorite author. They live in him together, and he in them.

“Books,” said Hazlitt,“wind into the heart; the poet’s verse slides in the current of our blood. We read them when young, we remember them when old. We feel that it has happened to ourselves. They are to be had very cheap and good. We breathe but the air of books.”

A good book is often the best urn of a life enshrining the best that life could think out; for the world of a man’s life is, for the most part, but the world of his thoughts. Thus the best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. “They are never alone,” said Sir Philip Sidney,“that are accompanied by noble thoughts.”

The good and true thought may in times of temptation be as an angel of mercy purifying and guarding the soul. It also enshrines the germs of action, for good words almost always inspire to good works.

Books possess an essence of immortality. They are by far the most lasting products of human effort. Temples and statues decay, but books survive. Time is of no account with great thoughts, which are as fresh today as when they first passed through their author’s minds, ages ago. What was then said and thought still speaks to us as vividly as ever from the printed page. The only effect of time has been to sift out the bad products; for nothing in literature can long survive but what is really good.

Books introduce us into the best society they bring us into the presence of the greatest minds that have ever lived. We hear what they said and did; we see them as if they were really alive; we sympathize with them, enjoy with them, grieve with them; their experience becomes ours, and we feel as if we were in a measure actors with them in the scenes which they describe.

The great and good do not die even in this world. Embalmed in books, their spirits walk abroad. The book is a living voice. It is an intellect to which one still listens. Hence we everremain under the influence of the great men of old. The imperial intellects of the world are as much alive now as they were ages ago.?

書友

書如同人，皆可成為伴侶，讀其書，如同讀其人；同樣，觀其朋友，也如同觀其人。無論是以書為伴或以人為友，我們都應(yīng)慎重選擇，與佳者為伴。

好書猶如知己。不管過去、現(xiàn)在，還是將來，它都始終如一。它是最有耐心、最令人愉快的伴侶。困難之際，它也不離不棄。它總是以善意接納我們，在我們年輕時(shí)，好書能陶冶性情，增長知識(shí)，我們年老時(shí)，它又會(huì)給我們以寬慰。

好書可以使人們結(jié)為朋友，就像兩個(gè)人會(huì)因?yàn)榫茨酵�一個(gè)人而交為朋友一樣。古諺說“愛屋及烏”，但是，“愛屋及烏”這句話卻有更深的哲理。書是更為牢固和真實(shí)的情誼紐帶。假如擁有共同喜愛的作家，人們可以借此溝通思想感情。他們可以由此和作者產(chǎn)生共鳴。

黑茲利特曾經(jīng)說過，“書潛移默化人們的內(nèi)心，詩歌熏陶人們的氣質(zhì)品性。少小所習(xí)，老大不忘，恍如身歷其事。書籍價(jià)廉物美，不啻我們呼吸的空氣”。

好書猶如珍藏人一生思想精華的工具。人生的境界，主要就在于他思想的境界。所以，好書蘊(yùn)藏著優(yōu)美的語言，深邃的思想，倘若能銘記于心，就將成為我們忠實(shí)的伴侶和永恒的慰藉。菲利普·錫德尼爵士說得好：“以高尚思想為伴的人永不孤獨(dú)。”

當(dāng)我們面臨誘惑的時(shí)候，虔誠而公正的信念就像仁慈的天使，保衛(wèi)我們的靈魂，使她依舊純潔。這同樣孕育著行為的沖動(dòng)，往往成為善行的先導(dǎo)。

書是永恒不朽的，它是迄今為止人類不懈奮斗的珍寶。寺廟會(huì)倒塌，神像會(huì)朽爛，而書卻經(jīng)久長存。在偉大的思想面前，時(shí)間顯得微不足道。多少年前曾經(jīng)感動(dòng)作者的思想今天依然清新如故。書記載了他們的言論和思想，現(xiàn)在看來依舊生動(dòng)。時(shí)間唯一的作用是淘汰垃圾作品，只有真正的作品才能經(jīng)受住時(shí)間的檢驗(yàn)而經(jīng)久長存。

書引導(dǎo)我們邁入最優(yōu)秀的領(lǐng)域，與歷代偉人為伍，使我們?nèi)缏勂渎�，如觀其行，如見其人，如與他們朝夕相處，同歡喜，共傷悲。我們繼承他們的感受，好似覺得在他們所描繪的舞臺(tái)上跟他們同臺(tái)獻(xiàn)藝了。

偉大杰出的人物在這世間也不會(huì)消逝，書記載他們的思想，然后傳播開來。書是人們至今仍在聆聽的思想回聲，永遠(yuǎn)充滿著活力。因此，我們永遠(yuǎn)都在受著歷代人的影響。多少年前的蓋世英才，就如同在他所生活的時(shí)代，今天依舊顯示著強(qiáng)大的生命力。