Humans have changed little over time. We think we've invented the modern world but they were making better speeches 2,000 years ago and grappling with issues of empire and terrorism.

The true currency of life is time, not money, and we've all got a limited stock of that.

Of all human activities, writing is the one for which it is easiest to find excuses not to begin – the desk’s too big, the desk’s too small, there’s too much noise, there’s too much quiet, it’s too hot, too cold, too early, too late. I had learned over the years to ignore them all, and simply to start.

My greatest regret as a writer is that I've never been able to include as many jokes as I'd like.

That young man seeks opportunities to test his principles as readily as a drunk picks fights in a bar.

Suicide leaves everyone feeling guilty.

It's when you've stopped writing and are doing other things, especially when you're asleep, that the real work is done.