The answer is that the success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social gifts.

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

My earliest memories of my father are of seeing him work at his desk and realizing that he was happy. I did not know it then, but that was one of the most precious gifts a father can give his child.

The issue isn't the accuracy of the bombs you have, it's how you use the bombs you have - and more importantly, whether you ought to use bombs at all.

...mediocre people find their way into positions of authority...because when it comes to even the most important positions, our selection decisions are a good deal less rational than we think.

You can learn as much - or more - from one glance at a private space as you can from hours of exposure to a public face.

...If you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires. (151)