In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

151 Just Words In Arabic a single word describes the very act of taking a position. Greeks pronounce three syllables to signify the sense of doom that all Greeks fear when things are going very well. As for the shameful ease we feel when bad news happens to someone else, including friends? In Greek—one word. To designate the hose that funnels liquid fire down the turret of a tank in battle, the Germans speak one word. It’s three lines long but still one word. And as for John, Matthew, Mark and Luke? There’s not a surname in the lot. With just one name they match in memory the immortality of martyrs. The longer they’re dead, the more they live. . . . I praise whatever mates perception with precision! It asks us only to be spare and make 152 the most of least. It simplifies and lets each word sound final as a car door being shut but perfect as a telegram to God. ...

Share