How could anything non-controversial be of intellectual interest to grown-ups?

As Mark Twain said, 'I love Wagner -- if only they'd cut out all that damned singing!'

The dog's life is a good life, for a dog.

To the question: Wilderness, who needs it? Doc would say: Because we like the taste of freedom, comrades. Because we like the smell of danger. But, thought Hayduke, what about the smell of fear, Dad?

Reason has seldom failed us because it has seldom been tried.

Most academic economists know nothing of economy. In fact, they know little of anything.

John Updike: our greatest suburban chic-boutique man of letters. A smug and fatal complacency has stunted his growth beyond hope of surgical repair. Not enough passion in his collected works to generate steam in a beer can. Nevertheless, he is considered by some critics to be America's finest *living* author: Hold a chilled mirror to his lips and you will see, presently, a fine and dewy moisture condensing -- like a faery breath! -- upon the glass.