The source of our suffering has been our timidity. We have been afraid to think....Let us dare to read, think, speak, write.
David McCulloughIf the attitude of the teacher toward the material is positive, enthusiastic, committed and excited, the students get that. If the teacher is bored, students get that and they get bored, quickly, instinctively.
David McCulloughRead somewhat in the English poets every day. You will find them elegant, entertaining and constructive companions through your whole life.
David McCulloughYou can make the argument that there's no such thing as the past. Nobody lived in the past. They lived in the present. It is their present, not our present, and they don't know how it's going to come out. They weren't just like we are because they lived in that very different time. You can't understand them if you don't understand how they perceived reality.
David McCulloughI think the public library system is one of the most amazing American institutions. Free for everybody. If you ever get the blues about the status of American culture there are still more public libraries than there are McDonald's. During the worst of the Depression not one public library closed their doors.
David McCullough