“Robin Bates has spent a lifetime changing lives and making our world better by illuminating the wisdom and guidance literature proffers to those who dare to crack open books. His exquisite gifts as a reader, writer, thinker, teacher, mentor, scholar and frontier scout are present on every page of Better Living through Literature. The insights are astonishing. The discoveries both surprise and delight. And the literary landscape Bates guides us through is one of stunning breadth and, accessible, exhilarating depth. While all that may sound daunting, it truly isn't. This is a book designed to become a companion. To deliver the goods both in the moment and over time. Above all, the deeper Robin Bates takes us into the books that challenge and move and shape us as human beings, the more we sense the presence of a healing compassion and a divine grace that are hallmarks of his storytelling. If you're looking for a book that delivers that type of reading experience, that type of companionship, you've found it.”

— Amazon Review