3-2-1: On asking permission, the trick to writing well, and the magic of reading

“You can borrow knowledge, but not action.”

“The trick to writing well is to...

– take long sentences and make them short

– take confusing ideas and make them clear

– take unrelated concepts and make them related

...without losing the main idea in the process.”

Chemical engineer Trevor Kletz , a pioneer in his field, on how he accomplished so much in his career:

“If one asked permission there was a 50% chance it would be refused. If one just got on with it, 19 times out of 20 nothing was said.”

“Successful outcomes are never the result of a single choice. They are built up through good choices over time.

A profitable business is never a choice, it is a series of choices.

A fit body is never a choice, it is a series of choices.

A strong relationship is never a choice, it is a series of choices.”

Inventor and writer Lin Yutang on the magic of reading:

“Compare the difference between the life of a man who does no reading and that of a man who does. The man who has not the habit of reading is imprisoned in his immediate world, in respect to time and space. His life falls into a set routine; he is limited to contact and conversation with a few ... See more