A bibliophile of little means is likely to suffer often. Books don't slip from his hands but fly past him through the air, high as birds, high as prices.

Whenever it is possible, a boy should choose some occupation which he should do even if he did not need the money.

This is the final test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him.

The final test of a gentleman is his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him.

I find money some way or other goes very fast. But I think I can reflect it has been spent with satisfaction and to my own honour.

I have friends in prison. I send them money. I send them food. They say, 'Bro, get me out of here.' There's nothing I can do. They're five years in on a 20-year sentence. They went in at 16, they'll get out at 36. That's a lifetime.

I used to be an awful asker. I was the 14-year-old who didn't correct the family I would babysit for when they gave me less money than we had agreed to, because it felt rude and scary.

I took to saying, 'Look, tell you what: Pick it up; open it anywhere. Read three pages. If you can put it down again, I'll pay you a dollar. So I never lost any money on that bet, but I sold a lot of books.