Sarah Bakewell Draws on Montaigne in ‘How to Live’ - NYTimes.com:
“This idea — writing about oneself to create a mirror in which other people recognize their own humanity — has not existed forever,” Ms. Bakewell writes. “It had to be invented. And, unlike many cultural inventions, it can be traced to a single person.”
I read
The Essays ... ages ago, apparently taking the author's advice to heart. I remember that I read it, but I don't remember a single thing about it. Guess I could
Kindle some for free and see what rings a bell. (Nothing's ever really forgotten.)