"Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all." ― Henry David Thoreau Topic(s): Best Tags: books, first More From Henry David Thoreau "The Artist is he who detects and applies the law from observation of the works of Genius, whether of man or Nature. The Artisan is he who merely applies the rules which others have detected." "Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it." "Great men, unknown to their generation, have their fame among the great who have preceded them, and all true worldly fame subsides from their high estimate beyond the stars." More In Best "I basically started playing violin at the age of six. That lasted about three years because my previous teacher died and the second teacher didn’t really know how to successfully get me going."― Miroslav Vitous "It is our best work that God wants, not the dregs of our exhaustion. I think he must prefer quality to quantity."― George MacDonald "My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."― Ernest Hemingway