For leaders, wars are filled with guesses.

Jefferson was the rare student who came to college already knowing that there could be joy in studying.

Jefferson attributes to a college professor and mentor his lifelong habit of questioning conventional wisdom.

The feelings of politicians are rarely transparent.

The author characterizes Hamilton's tone in the Federalist papers by saying that he never spoke of problems but of being at the last stage in the crisis.

Alexander Hamilton reflected as early as the middle of the Revolutionary War that rallying at the last minute was part of the national character of his countrymen.

Established churches not infrequently formed an alliance with the aristocracy, joining arm in arm against change.

Were people to mingle only with those of like mind, every man would be an insulate being." Thomas Jefferson

Pointing out the possible, and expensive, entanglements that could come with widespread commercial enterprise, the author calculates the Great Britain was at war half the time between 1689 and 1783.

The thing I hate about religion is, they ban what they have done and force us to do what they haven’t done.

Training is a necessary tool.

I have hope, therefore, I am happy

He had been held to her by a beautiful thread which it pained him to spoil by breaking, rather than by a chain he could not break.

As a man is, so is his God; therefore God was so often an object of mockery. [Ger., Wie einer ist, so ist sein Gott, Darum ward Gott so oft zu Spott.]

Leave your coast to discover your true self!

Fundamentally, all writing is about the same thing; it's about dying, about the brief flicker of time we have here, and the frustration that it creates.

I've always believed in God. I'm just not so sure he believes in me.

Shane talking to Claire - "In this whole screwed up town, you're the only thing that's always been right to me," He whispered. "I love you, Claire

Growing up I had a real disconnect with the planet.