The best philosophers were not academics, but had another job, so their philosophy was not corrupted by careerism.

You know, children philosophize more than adults - and they are critical of adults.

You will get the most attention from those who hate you. No friend, no admirer and no partner will flatter you with as much curiosity.

Inequalities of wealth lead to a dispersion in wealth for all.

One of the aims of higher education is to broaden perspectives, and what better way than by a home stay in a really different country, like Bangladesh or Senegal? Time abroad also leaves one more aware of the complex prism of suspicion through which the United States is often viewed.

When people are connected, we can just do some great things. They have the opportunity to get access to jobs, education, health, communications. We have the opportunity to bring the people we care about closer to us. It really makes a big difference.

My second novel began after my family moved from New York City to North Carolina, and I watched my son walk into kindergarten at a school in which he was the only Jewish child out of 600 students - and this in the middle of the Bible Belt.

If we can show the world that there are students in all sorts of communities who don't have the material they need for a great education, that will be the first major step to doing something about it.