Thought means life, since those who do not think so do not live in any high or real sense. Thinking makes the man.
It's the story of an American who wants to become a dictator and goes to Europe with a sidekick to interview various Fascists to find out how the Nazis and Mussolini got into power.
And you can't make a mistake when you are reading the Torah, so you have men standing around who will correct you if you are reading it incorrectly.