The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)

by Ken Follett

That was not the end of the problems, but it was the beginning of solutions.

People who did not have enough to do could easily become so lazy that they skimped what little work they did have,

excessive pride is a familiar sin, but a man may just as easily frustrate the will of God through excessive humility.”

The world of power and property required that a man be suspicious, demanding, and insistent.

There were not many people who said what they meant and did what they said.