Sir Walter Scott: “Breathes there the man …”

Today I am reminded of a fragment of a poem that I had learned in high school. It is by the Scottish poet — Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). It is from his narrative poem, “The Lay of the Last Minstrel” (1805). It is worth memorizing. Here it is: Continue reading “Sir Walter Scott: “Breathes there the man …””

Random Quotes — Best Sellers

A lot of the people who read a bestselling novel, for example, do not read much other fiction. By contrast, the audience for an obscure novel is largely composed of people who read a lot. That means the least popular books are judged by people who have the highest standards, while the most popular are judged by people who literally do not know any better. An American who read just one book this year was disproportionately likely to have read ‘The Lost Symbol’, by Dan Brown. He almost certainly liked it.

— The Economist