Yahia Lababidi’s book ‘Quarantine Notes - Aphorisms on Morality and Mortality’ is quite simply breathtaking. I have to confess that before reading this book I wasn’t entirely sure I knew what an aphorism was - so (obviously) I Googled it! This is the definition: a pithy observation which contains a general truth. Well - ok! However, this definition feels somewhat beneath the works of Lababidi. Every single one of these aphorisms has made me stop and think - almost meditate for a brief but deeply meaningful moment and whether tangible or intangible, I have been able to take something of value from all of them. I find it astonishing that one person can produce so many insightful, genuinely thought provoking and spiritually meaningful ‘one-liner’ observations. Lababidi most definitely has the skill of language, but perhaps more importantly it seems he is a master of the language of the soul. You can dip in and out of this book and each time be lifted differently and in lasting ways that will make you want to read more and more. Each aphorism feels like a little ‘thought gift’ perfectly wrapped with a silk ribbon, which when untied, reveals a gift far greater in size than its initial appearance on the page. I really cannot recommend Lababidi’s work highly enough and I think you too will wonder how it is that one person can be so deeply insightful - what a gift!