Book excerpt: Popular American essayist, novelist, and journalist CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER (1829-1900) was renowned for the warmth and intimacy of his writing, which encompassed travelogue, biography and autobiography, fiction, and more, and influenced entire generations of his fellow writers. Here, the prolific writer turned editor for his final grand work, a splendid survey of global literature, classic and modern, and it's not too much to suggest that if his friend and colleague Mark Twain-who stole Warner's quip about how "everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it"-had assembled this set, it would still be hailed today as one of the great achievements of the book world. Highlights from Volume 15 include: . the memoirs of Samuel Foote . the writings of Anatole France . excerpts from Saint Francis of Assisi . letters and speeches by Benjamin Franklin . the historical essays of Edward Augustus Freeman . letters and aphorisms by Friedrich Froebel . the historical writing of James Anthony Froude . the science writing of Francis Galton . poetry and prose by Thophile Gautier . and much, much more.