I think we have a need to know what we do not need to know.

If you want to "get in touch with your feelings," fine, talk to yourself. We all do. But if you want to communicate with another thinking human being, get in touch with your thoughts. Put them in order, give them a purpose, use them to persuade, to instruct, to discover, to seduce. The secret way to do this is to write it down, and then cut out the confusing parts.

Different regions may require different strategies, as President Bush has noted, but not different basic principles. It's either collective security or selective security.

Remember to never split an infinitive. The passive voice should never be used. Do not put statements in the negative form. Proofread carefully to see if you words out. And don't start a sentence with a conjugation.

Decide on some imperfect Somebody and you will win, because the truest truism in politics is: You can't beat Somebody with Nobody.

A book should have an intellectual shape and a heft that comes with dealing with a primary subject.

Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.