Collection of erudite, witty and deeply human essays. Leys is a brilliant reader - insightful, irreverent, and deeply in love with the art of writing. His essays on various writers and their work are a pleasure to read. So are the essays about China, about seamen (whether literary or real) and about the state of higher education. His protests against the oppression in China and in Cambodia come from a deeply humanist impulse. His defense of Catholicism comes from the same impulse and thus is deeply sympathetic. I could argue about his protest against the ban of smoking in public places. But then, I could argue about some other things as well. The thing about Leys is that he starts a conversation with his readers and, no matter what it is about, the conversation is fascinating. Which is the best thing I could say about any essay writer.