The more closely we analyze what we consider 'sexy,' the more clearly we will understand that eroticism is the feeling of excitement we experience at finding another human being who shares our values and our sense of the meaning of existence.

We should keep a careful diary of our moments of envy: they are our covert guides to what we should try to do next.

Paying tax should be framed as a glorious civic duty worthy of gratitude - not a punishment for making money.

The Arab-Israeli conflict is also in many ways a conflict about status: it's a war between two peoples who feel deeply humiliated by the other, who want the other to respect them. Battles over status can be even more intractable than those over land or water or oil.

Only by declaring a book completely finished can one start to see how much remains to be done on it.

I know a lot about writing, but I don't know much about how other industries work. I've tried to use my naivety to my advantage.

I am conscious of trying to stretch the boundaries of non-fiction writing. It's always surprised me how little attention many non-fiction writers pay to the formal aspects of their work.