7,818 books
—
49,878 voters
Discover new books on Goodreads
Meet your next favorite book
“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion.”
― On Liberty
― On Liberty
“Not a fig shall I care then for all the devils in hell: it is they who will fear me. I do not understand these fears. "Oh, the devil, the devil!" we say, when we might be saying "God! God!" and making the devil tremble. Of course we might, for we know he cannot move a finger unless the Lord permits it. Whatever are we thinking of? I am quite sure I am more afraid of people who are themselves terrified of the devil than I am of the devil himself.”
― Complete Works St. Teresa Of Avila, Volume I
― Complete Works St. Teresa Of Avila, Volume I
“Nor is it enough that he should hear the arguments of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. That is not the way to do justice to the arguments, or bring them into real contact with his own mind. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them; who defend them in earnest, and do their very utmost for them.”
― On Liberty
― On Liberty
“Having said that Individuality is the same thing with development, and that it is only the cultivation of individuality which produces, or can produce, well-developed human beings, I might here close the argument: for what more or better can be said of any condition of human affairs, than that it brings human beings themselves nearer to the best thing they can be?”
― On Liberty
― On Liberty
“If you see a fraud and don't say fraud, you are a fraud.”
― Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
― Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder
Book Forum Refugees
— 76 members
— last activity Feb 17, 2026 09:49PM
For eclectic readers and collectors not bound by genre or era. We cover a wide range of book-related topics (and a few not book-related), and welcome ...more
Classics and the Western Canon
— 4985 members
— last activity 4 hours, 40 min ago
This is a group to read and discuss those books generally referred to as “the classics” or “the Western canon.” Books which have shaped Western though ...more
Alexey’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Alexey’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Business, Christian, Classics, Ebooks, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Poetry, Psychology, Religion, Science, Spirituality, Travel, and Nonfiction
Polls voted on by Alexey
Lists liked by Alexey















































