I wouldn't overall say that "The Diagnosis" is a funny book. I would say that it has comic moments. It's a modern tragedy.

It's the Platonic philosophy in The Republic that philosophers should lead the country.

The tragedy of this world is that no one is happy, whether stuck in a time of pain or joy.

When I used to play golf. It's a terrible miserable game. It's incredibly frustrating. In 18 holes you make 150 horrible shots off in the woods, in the water...You make one good shot and it brings you back the next time. With writing a long book there has to be at least one bit that has some magic in it that you can go back to.

I think Joe Leiberman has been one of the leaders of the country... people have such a broad respect for him as a moral force.

We often do not see what we do not expect to see.

I think e-mail is representative of our fast food mentality in the United States, where everything has gotten faster and faster, and we're required to respond to inputs more quickly with less time for thought and reflection. I believe that we need to slow down.