Slovaks are tried and tested, but (have) never (been) broken over long centuries of adversity; (a) humble and simple people, clever, bound to their land and traditions, as expressed in their poetry, their music, and the colors of a rich folklore, a people as tenacious as their Tatra Mountains, as serene and optimistic as the green expanse of their valleys and forests; a people above all, deeply attached to the values of their European civilization; honesty, hard work, family, and religious faith, as witnessed by so many popular shrines and stupendous churches. From the book: A History of Slovakia, by Stanislav J. Kirschbaum.