What Qualities, in Your Opinion, make a book a “Best Seller”? A ‘best seller’ is a book whose copies are sold in thousands. There is an inner urge in the reading public to buy such a book. The general reading public are normally averse to spending money on books. As a result, most of the books just gather dust in the shelves; they do not sell at all unless the sales...

Work is the only Route to Happiness. Discuss. The ideal put forward to young people has, traditionally, been `mens sana in corpore sano’, and this implies a proper balance between work and play. Yet to achieve happiness, that coveted but elusive state of total fulfillment, requires more. It is true that mankind in general, though with exceptions, has a built-in instinct for work. The vast gulf separating humanity from its physical...

Can Telling lies ever be Justified?   The old admonition to children, ‘speak the truth and shame the devil’, runs contrary to what is called the schoolboy’s eleventh commandment; ‘tell a lie, and stick to it’. The one adage advocates honesty at whatever personal cost. When charged with some illicit tree-felling, the young George Washington is said to have said ‘I cannot tell a lie’. Those who advocate moral rectitude always...

What Changes would you like to see in Today’s Society?   The term society has no general application. Every country differs from every other, however subtly, so answers must relate to a particular country. This answer relates to England, not even the whole of Britain. Perhaps the first point to acknowledge is that in comparison with many other countries, England has an overwhelming number of good features. Yet there are several...

Those who have no Knowledge of the Past are Condemned to Repeat it. Is Knowledge of History Important?   Historical knowledge is not only important. it is a crucial requirement in all who carry any kind of responsibility, whether in social, industrial, political or international affairs. In all these spheres, a knowledge of the past enables countries and individuals to sidestep old problem and to avoid the mistakes of the past....

Young People are Slaves to Fashion. Discuss. Young people, or teenagers, are an invention of the American exploitation of the early 60s. The contemporary hype built them up into a separate class of society, and since jobs and money were plentiful in those days, the promotion of fashion in dress, music, politics and general outlook proved very profitable. Prior to 1960, people aged under eighteen were children; above eighteen, adults. The...