Rationale for the Blog

The more attention one pays to how humans are managing the contemporary world, the clearer becomes the message that we need to learn from history.  Unfortunately, many of the lessons of history are buried in ancient texts that are inaccessible to most of us because they are written in someone else’s language.  Even if you read the language, the text may be either long or unavailable outside of a rare research library.  Alternatively, insights may be buried in literature. I hope in this blog will stimulate the sharing of information on ancient histories and literature with insights into the contemporary world –

* which to read

* excerpts of note

* where to find translations

* where to purchase a rare copy.

The quotes herein can be read on numerous levels: as stern warnings about current affairs, as sad insights from the “why can’t we learn” school, or…possibly the best…as humor, for, so long as you step back and, say, “pretend to be Martian,” human history is enormously amusing.