Part of the problem is that even at the book's best, the commentary is not writing but mere talk.

Two weeks ago, mere talk of tax cuts, potentially inflationary, immediately added 30 basis points to yields.

But the mere talk of autonomy and separatism underscored how deeply the election has divided the country.

By mere talk, prevailing over the biological urges of humans?

Ms. Dixon faces these challenges with more than mere talk of shovels.

Killeen felt the words as crystalline cold wedges of meaning, beyond mere talk.

The Minister said that the mere talk of early elections has motivated parliamentarians to work harder for their constituents.

Anyhow, at this stage it was mere talk.

But then, Calvin had learned to do much more subtle things than mere talk in the many months since then.

But no one ever played there because a new stadium was mere talk.