Saving New York City from bankruptcy is like making love to a gorilla. You don't stop when you're tired; you stop when he's tired.

Success in business, as in life, is often largely just a matter of luck.

A democracy cannot flourish half rich and half poor, any more than it can flourish half free and half slave.

Financial hydrogen bombs built on personal computers by 26-year-olds with MBAs.

I think there are two areas where new ideas are terribly dangerous: economics and sex. By and large, it's all been tried, and if it's really new, it's probably illegal or dangerous or unhealthy.

Hillary Brown understands that?for our grandchildren's sake?we must rebuild America and, in doing so, re-imagine our interconnected infrastructure systems to make them more efficient, environmentally safe, and resilient in this age of global urbanization. This fascinating and important book should be required reading for our elected officials and policy-makers.

What is desperately needed... is the skepticism and the sense of history that a liberal arts education provides.