He had then warned his daughter not to violate the Eleventh Commandment. "Which one is that?" I asked her. "Do not bullshit thy father," she said.

Sometimes I ask myself what would I be if Jenny were alive. And then I answer : I would also be alive." - Oliver.

The pain of not knowing what to do was exceeded only by that of knowing what I had done.

although science could pinpoint the exact spot in the brain that ignites rage, they had yet to identify the location that produces love.

Part of being a big winner is the ability to be a big loser. There is no paradox involved. It is a distinctly Harvard thing to be able to turn any defeat into victory

I was afraid of being rejected, yes. I was also afraid of being accepted for the wrong reasons.

Quiet heroism or youthful idealism, or both? What do we know? That life without heroism and idealism is not worth living - or that either can be fatal?