Heinlein: He presents a characterization (or characterizations), but some of his core points soak in over time, as one gains one's own life experience. Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance": For letting me know I was/am not alone (even in my alone-ness). Upon reflection, I guess these books haven't changed my way of thinking. But they've influenced them. Perhaps Heinlein helped me to change from approaching the world as it was presented to me to approaching it as I actually saw and see it. Pirsig helped me recognize and... formalize[1], at least for myself, some of my thoughts on quality. Emily Dickinson: Less really can be more. So much more. -- EDIT: Re [1], perhaps "explore" would be a better word.
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