Working 14 hours a day until you're 55 and missing your kids growing up is not what I would consider a recipe for happiness.

One gains a double benefit in writing about the past, conjuring up how things might have been, and at the same time acquiring a different perspective on the present.

I was a political journalist; I came to writing novels through an interest in politics and power.

The financial markets tend to be just a backdrop for a novel, for a heist or something that isn't necessarily integral to it. On the whole, I don't think the financial world has been well served by novels.

Salary negotiations shouldn't be limited to just salary. Salary pays your mortgage, but terms build your career.

I still think my whole career was accidental. I didn't pursue it. I feel like I'm cheating sometimes.

My understanding of this life is that you tour and play for years and years, have some longevity and a steady career. That may sound boring, but I always thought that was less depressing than being a one-hit wonder.

Stop hoping for a promotion that's not coming. Instead, start a business at which you want to work.