Gregory Blotnick

“We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil.”

“We are so presumptuous that we would wish to be known by all the world, even by people who shall come after, when we shall be no more; and we are so vain that the esteem of five or six neighbours delights and contents us.” — Blaise Pascal

“Happiness is only a dream, and pain is real… I have experienced this for eighty years. I know of nothing better than to resign myself to this and to say that flies are born to be eaten by spiders, and men to be devoured by trouble and affliction.” — Voltaire

I’ve been reading Will Durant’s ten-part historical series “The Story of Civilization.” On Amazon, someone left an incredible review laying out what they learned from reading the entire series, transcribed below.

Full list, followed by Top 20 lists for both Non-Fiction and Fiction.