I would not say that the future is necessarily less predictable than the past. I think the past was not predictable when it started.

Work continuously to trim the White House staff from your first day to your last. All the pressures are to the contrary.

Be yourself. Follow your instincts. Success depends, at least in part, on the ability to 'carry it off.'

When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later.

The price of being close to the President is delivering bad news. You fail him if you don't tell him the truth. Others won't do it.

When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.

Our task, your task... is to try to connect the dots before something happens. People say, 'Well, where's the smoking gun?' Well, we don't want to see a smoking gun from a weapon of mass destruction.