From the book:

“Growing up on the Kibbutz (communal village-like place, unique to Israel), we had a ritual in the children’s house: once a week we would go with one of our care-takers to the library. We were then allowed to check out three books each. I’m not sure at exactly what age I realized that was not enough for me. I would finish my books and would crave more before the next library day. I can’t remember if I mentioned it to anyone, or if I even thought I could. The Kibbutz had its rules about equal treatment to all. I do remember, though, coming up with a solution that forever tied reading for me with adventure…  On the side of the library building, leading to the small library office, was a small, narrow window. It was sometimes left open, and if not you could easily slide it open. All I remember now is that I found a secret way into the library in between official visits, and that I would carefully approach this window, look around and quickly crawl in and continue to crawl to the children’s books section. I would then sit on the floor browsing and reading to my heart’s content, carefully returning the books to their place when I finished. I would then crawl out with no one ever the wiser as to my secret adventures. This lasted for at least three years from when I was about seven until about ten. Books were like the soil on which my imagination would blossom and from which my ideas would develop. I would then enact many of them in games I would invent and invite other kids to play. Books were my source of entertainment, adventure, and life. School was more often than not a nuisance, something I had to do which greatly hindered my ability to lose myself in reading some more. Until I was eighteen I read ferociously.When in high school, at the regional school, I went back to my library sneaking ways. I would skip classes so that I could just go and sit in the library, reading again to my heart content. During one of these visits, when I was about thirteen or fourteen years old, I discovered Summerhill, a book written by A.S. Neill, describing how this democratic school (founded in the early 1900 in England), worked. The idea of child led learning described in Summerhill struck a chord with me. I knew that at least in my case it was true. I did not need anyone telling me what to do and what or how to learn. I loved the pursuit of anything that fascinated me, and all the rest were road blocks to side step. I knew in my heart of hearts that Neill had observed the truth about how children learn, and thus begun my romance with alternative, free, child led education.”