Those who do not read the news are uninformed. Those who do are misinformed.

There is only one expert who is qualified to examine the souls and the life of a people and make a valuable report - the native novelist. ... And when a thousand able novels have been written, there you have the soul of the people; and not anywhere else can these be had.

It is not worth while to try to keep history from repeating itself, for man's character will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible.

The slowness of one section of the world about adopting the valuable ideas of another section of it is a curious thing and unaccountable.

You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?

Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God, and over these ideals they dispute-but they all worship money.

Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.