The hero was distinguished by his achievement; the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name.

Books are messengers of freedom. They can be hidden under a mattress or smuggled into slave nations.

The most important lesson of American history is the promise of the unexpected. None of our ancestors would have imagined settling way over here on this unknown continent. So we must continue to have society that is hospitable to the unexpected, which allows possibilities to develop beyond our own imaginings.

The problem for us is less to discover the way it really is than to see the meaning of the way.

A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.

We must abandon the prevalent belief in the superior wisdom of the ignorant.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.