A man's best friend is a good wife.

Stories of perseverance and extraordinary courage always inspire me. This piece in a book called Everyday Greatness by Stephen R. Covey has remained with me ever since.

Coming into contact with a good book and possessing it, is indeed an everlasting enrichment.

In the humble environs of my boyhood, books were a scarce commodity. By local standards, however, the personal library of STR Manickam, a former 'revolutionary' or militant nationalist, was sizeable. He encouraged me to read all I could and I often visited his home to borrow books.

Experts on romance say for a happy marriage there has to be more than a passionate love. For a lasting union, they insist, there must be a genuine liking for each other. Which, in my book, is a good definition for friendship.

The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read.