Introduce Them To The (Friendly) World of Ideas

General Jim Mattis has talked about his idyllic childhood in Pullman, Washington. There he spent time outdoors, explored, got in trouble, and had an all-American childhood. He talks lovingly of a house filled with books—as we’ve said, a house without books is not a home—and parents who not only encouraged their children to read them, but questioned and interacted with them. “They introduced us to a world of great ideas—not a fearful place,” he said, “but a place to enjoy.” What a...