Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Reading: Louis L'Amour

I am currently enjoying a reading "spree". Once I learned I was going to class in the fall and not doing my stats through correspondence (which was failing miserably) it was as if I had "permission" to read without guilt - and I went a little crazy. I am currently reading the autobiography of Louis L'Amour, "Education of a Wandering Man"- and one or two others and I have about 15 books on my nightstand waiting for me.
I have never read a book by Louis L'Amour, but I recall being told many years ago that this autobiography was very interesting and worth being read and that has stuck with me. I found it in my local library and checked it out and I am loving it - enough to venture so far as to pick up a book written by him in the future - and westerns have never been "my thing".

Here are a couple of quotes from his book that have made an impression on me:

" It is often said that one has but one life to live, but that is nonsense. For one who reads, there is no limit to the number of lives that may be lived, for fiction, biography, and history offer an inexhaustible number of lives in many parts of the world, in all periods of time."

"One thing has always been true: That book or person who can give me an idea or a new slant on an old idea is my friend."

" If I were asked what education should give, I would say it should offer breadth of view, ease of understanding, tolerance for others, and a background from which the mind can explore in any direction."

"Education should provide the tools for a widening and deepening of life, for increased appreciation of all one sees or experiences. It should equip a person to live life well, to understand what is happening about him, for to live well one must live with awareness."

1 comment:

Teena in Toronto said...

I'm not into westerns either but I love bios. I'll have to check this out!