“Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last.”

– Sherlock Holmes, “The Red Circle” (His Last Bow)

We are always learning. Regardless of how much we age or how much wisdom we accrue, our capacity to learn from the rocky experiences of life never lessens. The old axiom that “you learn something new every day” has been used and abused to no end, but with each new year that passes, it still rings true. Life loves to throw new things at us from facts, information, and discoveries to events, people, and changes. Indeed, the most important lessons we learn through life are generally fought for and earned with the perspiring brow of hard work and the straining muscle of resilience.

Sometimes, however, literature—despite its gentler and subtler approach—can be one of our best teachers. We can learn lessons as characters learn them, understanding life a trifle better from the comfort of our plushy couches for a change instead of physically journeying as the fictitious hero does.

If fictional characters can teach us invaluable lessons, I can think of no one better to learn from than one of the wisest and most practical characters of all time: the Great Detective himself, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

This is why I positively love the book I just read, A Few Lessons from Sherlock Holmes by Peter Bevelin and published by MX Publishing. It is an outstanding collection of quotes uttered canonically by Sherlock Holmes, his author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and other real sources such as the diagnostician Dr. Joseph Bell, and the reputed Charles Darwin. From tips on keeping your head clear and weighing all evidence to general concepts of deduction and inference, this book nails the modern genre of “edutainment”—education and entertainment all rolled up into one digestible package.

As an editor myself, the only thing that weighs down my appreciation for the book is not as much the compilation of it but simply the typographical errors, such as a general lack of punctuation and even one incorrect citation (a quote from “The Six Napoleons” that was cited as being from “Charles Augustus Milverton”). Apart from these minuscule details, however, the book was enlightening beyond simple platitudes and comes highly recommended.

Give it a try! Whether you’re looking for a few lessons of which Conan Doyle would approve or you’re simply in for some Sherlockian nostalgia, you’ll most certainly enjoy A Few Lessons from Sherlock Holmes.

– Arianna Fox

Entrepreneur | Book Editor | Bestselling Triple Author | Motivational Speaker | Actress | Voiceover Talent | Influencer | Sherlockian Pasticheur

To book Arianna for speaking engagements or purchase her books, visit www.ariannafox.com or email afox@ariannafox.com.

To purchase books from MX Publishing, visit www.mxpublishing.com.

To purchase A Few Lessons from Sherlock Holmes by Peter Bevelin on Amazon, go to https://amzn.to/38qfw5y.

To purchase it from MX Publishing, go to www.mxpublishing.com/products/a-few-lessons-from-sherlock-holmes.