It was here, inside a small library within one of his chateau towers, that Montaigne began writing the Essays. He published the first two volumes of these essays in 1580, followed by a third in 1588. Within their pages he wrote chapters of varying lengths (sometimes only a few paragraphs, sometimes hundreds of pages long) on a wide array of topics ranging from architecture to child-rearing. His writing style was unusual in the 16th century for its complete honesty and informality. International Applicants I used to fear the ocean. I was afraid of being pulled under a wave, so I rarely left the edge of the sand. It took time, but I’ve found the confidence to splash far into the water, browse this site where the ground sinks away. When I decided to create my own video game, it took many tries to get it right. But I knew from the waves that there are two types of courage in the world: the courage to start something, and the courage to start over. I’ve learned that the latter is harder to find than the former, and though it might be unpleasant, it’s better than getting swept out to sea.