Daily Brain Food.
Thoughts of the day
If you ever happened to take a train in the UK, you will have inevitably noticed a bookstore and newsagents that goes by the name WHSmith. The first store of the chain was opened on this day, in 1848, at Euston Station, London.
In a day and age where everything is perceived as ephemeral, where giants fall unexpectedly, and where bubbles are coming dangerously close to bursting, it is admirable to see a retailer (let alone a bookstore) survive the test of time.
What is even more admirable is the insight behind it. As people travel, to go to work, or to see family and friends, perhaps they would like to read something on the train. This could also be the very reason behind the success and longevity of WHSmith. That it found a way to satisfy a human need that has no expiry date.
As Voltaire said, “Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”
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