> you’ll understand them by osmosis even without having read them. Depends on your goal. Reading a classic by "osmosis" may be enough to make one a dilettante,

> you’ll understand them by osmosis even without having read them. Depends on your goal. Reading a classic by "osmosis" may be enough to make one a dilettante, but doesn't bring about the enlightenment you would experience from reading the original book. Just like reading popular science books doesn't make one a scientist.