Those of us who read because we love it more than anything, who feel about bookstores the way some people feel about jewelers.

I do tend to be almost kind of Pollyanna-ish person.

Uncontrollable consumerism has become a watchword of our culture despite regular and compelling calls for its end. The United States has more malls than high schools; Americans spend more time shopping than reading. ... Some of the most insightful writing about the American character over the nation's history has been about neither freedom nor democracy but about the crazed impulse to acquire things.

Ignorant free speech often works against the speaker. That is one of several reasons why it must be given rein instead of suppressed.

I'm just remembering myself at 22 or 23. I was all engine and no steering. (Laughter) I had the wheels but I had no steering. I do think it's true that when you're younger, you're more likely to listen to all the naysayers, and people are always telling you how you ought to behave and what kind of job you should get and how you should look.

A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn't believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.

knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us.