International business, once allowed to stalk uncontrolled, killed the local, the small, the quirky.

— Alexander McCall Smith

Isabel is looking at several collections of research journals. 'She would understand the issues if she chose to open one of the volumes, but she knew that there were conversations within which she would never have the time to participate in. And that, of course, was the problem with any large collection of books, whether in a library or a bookshop: one might feel intimidated by the fact that there was simply too many to read and not know where to start.

— Alexander McCall Smith

I said to him that Zululand sounded fine, but that every man has a map in his heart of his own country and that the heart will never allow you to forget this map.

— Alexander McCall Smith

I shall go and sit under a tree…. Which tree, MMA?... Oh, there are many trees in this life, she said. It does not matter which tree you choose, as long as you choose the right one.

— Alexander McCall Smith

It is hard, she thought, it is hard for us to think of people who dislike us because none of us, in our heart, believes that we deserve the hatred of others.

— Alexander McCall Smith

It is so easy to thank people," said MMA Remote, passing the letter over to MMA Yakutsk, "and most people don't bother to do it. They don't thank the person who does something for them. They just take it for granted.

— Alexander McCall Smith

It is sometimes easier to be happy if you don't know everything.

— Alexander McCall Smith

...it must be odd to have no ambition, not to want something more.

— Alexander McCall Smith

It's because there are too many people who want to stop us having fun. That's the reason.

— Alexander McCall Smith

It shall be an offense for any man, either a husband or other person of the male sex, married or otherwise, being over the age of twelve years, to throw any item of clothing having been worn by the said person for whatever length of time, upon the floor of any bathroom or any room adjacent to and connected to a bathroom, without good cause.

— Alexander McCall Smith