Umberto Eco, who owned 50,000 books, had this to say about home libraries:
“It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones.
“There are things in life that we need to always have plenty of supplies, even if we will only use a small portion.
“If, for example, we consider books as medicine, we understand that it is good to have many at home rather than a few: when you want to feel better, then you go to the ‘medicine closet’ and choose a book. Not a random one, but the right book for that moment. That’s why you should always have a nutrition choice!
“Those who buy only one book, read only that one and then get rid of it. They simply apply the consumer mentality to books, that is, they consider them a consumer product, a good. Those who love books know that a book is anything but a commodity.”
Dept for Education former perm sec Jonathan Slater criticises successive education ministers for prioritising ideology - ie the creation of new “free schools” - over rebuilding unsafe schools. He also criticises Sunak as Chancellor for funding the rebuilding of only circa 50 schools per year compared with a need for 400. On @BBCr4today
I’ve recorded this tribute to George Alagiah: one of the finest and nicest journalists at the BBC. For the former Africa correspondent, I play Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika (Lord Bless Africa). Thank you to George's close friend Allan Little @alittl for suggesting the music.
The best Del Boy one liners from Only Fools and Horses, written by John Sullivan:
“You can’t trust the Old Bill, can ya? Look at that time they planted six gas cookers in my bedroom.”
“Look at Grandad. His brain went years ago, now his legs have gone. There’s only the middle bit of him left.”
“As Macbeth said to Hamlet in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 'We’ve been done up like a couple of kippers.'”
“You've always been the same, even at school. Nothing but books, learning, education - that's why you're no good at snooker.”
“Sit down, Rodney. Keep your brains warm.”
“She used to say, ‘It’s better to know you’ve lost than not to know you’ve won.’ Dear old Mum, she used to say some bloody stupid things.”
“It’s the toughest chicken I’ve ever known. It’s asked me for a fight in the car park twice.”
“You dozy little twonk, Rodney.”
“They're yuppies. They don’t speak proper English like what we do.”
“It's a well-known fact that 90 per cent of all foreign tourists come from abroad.”
“Dear old grandad, bless him. He was about as useful as a pair of sunglasses on a bloke with one ear.”
“He who dares wins. He who hesitates... doesn’t.”
For women, singing is forbidden in Iran. This woman is bravely singing in one of Esfahan’s most historical mosques. When the security agent tried to stop her, she resisted and continued. Brave Iranian women like her will some day bring down this most anti-woman regime.
this is an outstanding opportunity from my coach supervisor colleague @wellbeing_champ . please have a read and contact her directly..,.. https://t.co/7aCX2IrVFh
We just completed the third module of the current programme yesterday - now for the assessment later in the summer.
When ending this part of the programme yesterday, we did a closing reflection. It was a privilege to have been part of the evolution of…https://t.co/DxxsMEb8sV