What is called a high standard of living consists, in considerable measure, in arrangements for avoiding muscular energy, for increasing sensual pleasure and enhancing caloric intake above any conceivable nutritional requirement.

One of my greatest pleasures in my writing has come from the thought that perhaps my work might annoy someone of comfortably pretentious position. Then comes the realization that such people rarely read.

Where humor is concerned there are no standards - no one can say what is good or bad, although you can be sure that everyone will.

No intelligence system can predict what a government will do if it doesn't know itself.

You will find that [the] State [Department] is the kind of organisation which, though it does big things badly, does small things badly too.

The notion that you would initiate a new product without preparing the way by persuasion and advertising and salesmanship is fantastic. It's an integral part of the system.

Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything.