What about Simonton's old 'equal-odds rule' where chance of success does not decline with output, or the observation that publication rates tend to be extremely skewed with the most eminent often publishing the most and most researchers or whatever only publishing one or two papers or books? This would seem to suggest that success and depth comes from trying as much as possible and seeing whether it sticks.

Richards

I've been reading his Practical Criticism, which is interesting and short, if maybe a bit tedious. He makes a lot of good points about a lot of people just not understanding the poems they're reading, and dramatically demonstrates how taste differs and the big problem for one reader is the poems' greatest virtue for others. I'm not sure this is new to anyone's who spent more than a few minutes reading clashing book or music reviews, but he does demonstrate it at length.