The story of a great man

[fpb]

Once upon a time there was an old sage who lived in Paris in a house so full of books that he had barely space to move; and he had read them all. He had written more than sixty books and altogether invented his own discipline, and when he was admitted to the highest academic institution in France, he was described as a "more than encyclopedic

Comments

[atheneglaukopis]

In a word, that is extraordinary.

[elegant_bonfire]

This is a great story! It shows that he loved the reading and learning for its own scholarship, not just to get his name on published books.

[fpb]

Indeed. In a famous interview, towards the end of his life, he said that he fully expected his work to be outdated in fifty years, and, he more or less added, thank God for that.

[tashmania]

Oh that's just wonderful :-) How extraordinary, and what a phenomenal man.

[fpb]

I have known a few really great people in my life, and he was the first. My whole life, beginning with my choice of career, has been affected by him.

P.S.: Hello and welcome back!