“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, / But I have promises to keep,” Robert Frost wrote while contemplating the power of perseverance. The author of “War and Peace” and one of the greatest international writers, Leo Tolstoy (September 9, 1828-November 20, 1920), complements these lines with a much-needed practical advice, included in his timeless … Read more
. At this point, I can confidently say that the practice of brahmavihara meditation has made me less judgmental of other people. But it would be wrong to say that I’m completely free of this mental habit (it is part of the human condition, after all). On rare occasions when I do judge someone, I … Read more
The press no longer plays the role of a gatekeeper. It doesn’t decide what information the public should know and what it should not. “If the New York Times decides not to publish something, one of countless other websites, talk radio hosts, social media networks, blogs, or partisans will,” write Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel … Read more
. “The Elements of Style,” hailed by many as “the most important and timeless book on writing,” argues that good writing rests on three principles: purity, perspicuity, and precision. George Orwell (June 25, 1903–January 21, 1950) echoed this belief. In his altogether indispensable “Politics and the English Language,” he writes: “Political language — and with … Read more