On Small Talk

Catherine Blyth in The Art of Conversation writes,

"The honor of small talk lies in paying others the compliment that their worth talking to, the power in sparking the everyday magic of intimacy."

Old Books

While reading "Reading Between the Lines", I was reminded of Lewis's advice that one out of every four books should be outside of your own time, and since you cannot read future books, you should read ones from the past. My last few books have been from within my time. Currently I am working on Doing Our Own Thing by John McWhorter, Reading Between the Lines by Gene Edward Veith Jr. I have recently read, Culture Making by Andy Crouch, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWhorter To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas, Assumptions that Affect our Lives by Christian Overman. I think it is time for an older book. While I really want to read Dickens or Dostoevsky, I am leaning toward Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin and it is time for me to read Calvin's Institutes.