“Books are the carriers of civilization… They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print.”

“With books, as with companions, it is of more consequence to know which to avoid, than which to choose; for good books are as scarce as good companions.”

“A blessed companion is a book,—a book that fitly chosen is a life-long friend.”

“An unread book does nobody any good. Stories happen in the mind of a reader, not among symbols printed on a page.”

“We are as liable to be corrupted by books as we are by companions.”

“Tis pleasure, sure, to see one's name in print;
A book's a book, although there's nothing in 't.”

“Choosing a new book was like looking for treasure.”

“A book, once it is printed and published, becomes individual.”

“The current publishing scene is extremely good for the big, popular books. They sell them brilliantly, market them and all that. It is not good for the little books. And really valuable books have been allowed to go out of print. In the old days, the publishers knew that these difficult books, the books that appeal only to a minority, were very productive in the long run. Because they're probably the books that will be read in the next generation. It's heart-breaking how often I have to say when I'm giving talks, "This book is out of print. This book is out of print."”

“A charger's saddle is an exalted throne, the best companions are books alone.”