Reflections on the Highlands: Johnson discusses the benefits of living in the mountains in terms of defense and security. I thought it was interesting to compare the people of the Scottish Highlands to the natives of Appalachia. In some ways, they seem to be quite similar (for example, it takes a long time for news to reach them or for change to occur in comparison to industrialized areas). I liked Johnson's observation that "Law is nothing without power." He provided a helpful explanation of the importance of record-keeping and lineage for the highlanders.
I enjoyed reading James Boswell's descriptions of Johnson and his attempts to bring the man Samuel Johnson to life for those who did not have the privilege of knowing him in life. I was surprised at how witty and entertaining Johnson was because I had mostly heard of him being a great rhetorician and orator. I loved the conversation about "tragick acting" and ghosts: "I asked him, 'Would not you start as Mr Garrick does if you saw a ghost?' He answered, 'I hope not. If I did, I should frighten the ghost.'" And that is how Samuel Johnson won me over.
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