An aggressive drug-testing program would cut down on certain abuses, but its never going to catch everyone - or even close to everyone.

There will be statues of Bill Gates across the Third World. There's a reasonable shot that - because of his money - we will cure malaria.

A study at the University of Utah found that if you ask someone why he is friendly with someone else, he’ll say it is because he and his friend share similar attitudes. But if you actually quiz the two of them on their attitudes, you’ll find out that what they actually share is similar activities. We’re friends with the people we do things with, as much as we are with the people we resemble. We don’t seek out friends, in other words. We associate with the people who occupy the same small, physical spaces that we do.

Where they come from matters. They're products of particular places and environments.

To build a better world we need to replace the patchwork of lucky breaks and arbitrary advantages today that determine success--the fortunate birth dates and the happy accidents of history--with a society that provides opportunities for all.

When it's easy to make money, you have no incentive to think about development of talent.

It's as if you were interested in fashion and your neighbor when you were growing up happened to be Giorgio Armani.