He had heard of book philosophy, but had not imagined there had been so much written about it.
The high, bulging shelves of heavy tomes humbled him and at the same time stimulated him.

Here was work for the vigor of his brain.

He found books on trigonometry in the mathematics section, and ran the pages, and stared at the meaningless formulas and figures.

He could read English, but he saw there an alien speech.

Norman and Arthur knew that speech.