“Over the eons I've been a fan of, and sucker for, each latest automated system to 'simplify' and 'bring order to' my life. Very early on this led me to the beautiful-and-doomed Lotus Agenda for my ...”

“A basic rule of life for reporters is that you should spend your time talking with and learning about people who are not sending you press releases, rather than those who are.”

“The air that people breathe in many Chinese cities has become dangerously polluted. Their food supply is subject to constant contamination scandals. Now it appears that not merely stagnant ponds bu...”

“No one ever really 'learns' from history, because choices never present themselves in exactly the same way, and because you can always choose similarities and differences to fit current needs.”

“Always write angry letters to your enemies. Never mail them.”

“Environmental disaster is the gravest threat to China's continued development. That's according to me, but it is not some wacko view.”

“Whenever you don't know someone and you overhear their problems they always sound so trivial.”

“Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system.”

“There are always answers. We just have to be smart enough.”

“Surprise is when a prime minister is assassinated during his speech. Suspense is when an assassin lurks while the prime minister speaks. Balancing surprise and suspense is the job of the thriller w...”

“I rose swiftly and struck him across the cheek, hard enough to make my palm sting. He gaped at me. 'I do not want your damned money. I want you to answer me.' Carefully, he fingered his jaw. There ...”

“Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise!”

“My work was done, so it was time to start digging my grave again.”

“In the grave, there is neither learning nor working. Learn while you can, work while you can.”

“Often I return to the grave after leaving flowers tulips, lilies, carnations to find the heads eaten by deer. Its just as good a use for the flowers as any, and one Paul would have liked. The ear...”