Second Act

Eisenhower was so interested in mechanical warfare he and George Patton stripped tanks down to their constituent parts and reassembled them.

When you need to make a change, you will do so through people you do not know very well.

‘Every man,’ as he said, ‘is to take existence on the terms on which it is given to him.’

When choosing what path to follow, we can also be hindered by not knowing what we will be best at.

So, although weak connections are more likely to be useful, they are less likely to be able to reliably influence people who are four degrees or more of separation away.

What Truman and Eisenhower had in their favour was earnestness. They were self-taught, hardworking, strong-willed men.

To be a leader, you must be able to look at the details and make a decision. You cannot govern with principles, only practicalities.

In the Dictionary, Johnson combined deep scholarship, sharp stylistic writing, a strong moral code and his vast reading across many disciplines to create a unique, inventive, useful, serious and entertaining book.

a weak tie who can move between different groups with influence – are critical to the way networks operate.