I don't go to a lot of parties or do a lot of going out within, like, the Hollywood circle or celebrity-type circles and things like that.

My son's the most precious thing to me; he's changed me from being selfish to selfless.

My daughter gets to paint my nails and put clips in my hair, and I love it.

I love my son, but my daughter has calmed me down.

We live longer and healthier lives than ever before. Animal research has improved the treatment of infections, helped with immunisation, improved cancer treatment and had a big impact on managing heart disease, brain disorders, arthritis and transplantation.

Everybody who's a physician, who makes vaccines, who wants to find the cure for cancer. Everybody who wants to do any medical good for humankind got the passion for that before he or she was 10.

When I blew my back out at age 42, I said, 'Okay, I've got to be more concerned about food and health.'

I felt that, in some ways, my novels lacked heart because of the distance between me and the subject matter. But no one wants to read a book based on good health, a happy upbringing, a long marriage.