What makes a publishing house great? The easy answer is the consistency with which it produces books of value over a lengthy period of time.

It's a crapshoot, publishing.

In today's world, it never looks good when you're suing somebody who earned $20,000 for writing a book over a period of a year or two.

I don't think so. They haven't shown the consistency to do it during the regular season.

The best seat in the house often depends on the ballet. For instance, much of the first act of 'The Nutcracker' is domestic and small scale, so it's great to sit up close. But the second act features elaborate scenery and choreography, which are better to observe from a distance.

There are certain historical figures of such importance that we need to know everything about them, which is why books about Napoleon, Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Queen Elizabeth I, and the great religious founders continue to proliferate; these lives require constant reevaluation and interpretation.