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Reading is an act of civilization; it's one of the greatest acts of civilization because it takes the free raw material of the mind and builds castles of possibilities.

Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow.

Language as a communication tool is the primary element from which literature is created. Even in pre-literate societies, it exists as songs, riddles, or epics that are chanted.

Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.

As for most writers, language is vital for me: a writer's ability to render a fictional world - characters, landscape, emotions - into something original that alters or deepens my understanding of both literature and life.

Language is to the mind more than light is to the eye.

Reading is a means of thinking with another person's mind; it forces you to stretch your own.

Reading develops cognitive skills. It trains our minds to think critically and to question what you are told. This is why dictators censor or ban books. It's why it was illegal to teach slaves to read. It's why girls in developing countries have acid thrown in their faces when they walk to school.

Language is one component of the human cognitive capacity which happens to be fairly amenable to enquiry. So we know a good deal about that.