I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children. If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured.

If she doesn't really love you, then it's over. And if she does love you, then love will win out.

Better to fail spectacularly than do something mediocre.

Read at least one book a month. This is self-serving, obviously. It's a proven fact that people who read buy more books than people who don't read. In truth, I wish you'd read ten books a month, or at least buy that many.

I'll take an earnest person over a hip person every day, because hip is short-term, earnest is long term.

Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.

It's interesting, the secrets you decide to reveal at the end of your life.