Les Miles speaking, about anything, is something like an event. People gather around. There's a buildup. Les works the crowd, pacing himself until he finds the right time to deliver his quirky lines.

“52 Little Lessons from ‘Les Misérables,’” by Bob Welch. Nelson Books, 2014. 206 pp. $16.99. “Les Misérables” is one of those stories that many people have heard of, even if all they know is the name.

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Every once in a while, Les Miles scrolls through the numbers stored in his cell phone and settles on digits that once connected him to a source of advice and camaraderie. Bo ...