"I am naturally fond of adventure, a little ambitious, and a good deal romantic - but patriotism was the true secret of my success."

“If we are understood, more words are unnecessary; if we are not likely to be understood, they are useless.”

Source : "Hudibras" by Samuel Butler, edited by Henry George Bohn, (Part 1, Canto 1), 1859.

“It does sound like a science fiction story and I may sound like one of these guys who walks up and down with a sandwich board saying the end of the world is nigh, but the end is nigh....”

Source : "Nasa dismisses asteroid collision claim" by Simon Jeffery, www.theguardian.com. July 24, 2002.

“We are responsible for our own destiny. What matters is how we improve ourselves from this moment forward.”

“His credibility is zilch, virtually nil.”

“It's a failure of national vision when you regard children as weapons, and talents as materials you can mine, assay, and fabricate for profit and defense.”

Source : John Hersey (1960). “The Child Buyer”

“No parent is there forever. So I won't be here forever with these kids.”

“When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, 'I am going to produce a work of art.' I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.”

“You can't just be talented: You have to be terribly smart and energetic and ruthless. You also have to become necessary to people, by working hard and well and bringing more than your bones and your skin to the project. Don't just show up. Transform the work, yourself, and everybody around you. Be needed. Be interesting. Be something no one else can be--and consistently.”