There is not a subject in Montaigne's Essais that does not speak to us today, such as education, faith, vanity, greed, public leadership and humility, colonization, and the human condition in general. He was a man engaged in his community, a city politician and a man of the country. He wrote in a simple language, yet so rich, with subtlety and intelligence. He taught me the relevance of literature and languages to our lives.