The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who... - Mark Twain

"A big leather-bound volume makes an ideal razorstrap. A thing book is useful to stick under a table with a broken caster to steady it. A large, flat atlas can be used to cover a window with a broken pane. And a thick, old-fashioned heavy book with a clasp is the finest thing in the world to throw at a noisy cat."

"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened."

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."

"In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them."

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure."