Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys of life because it is so extremely rewarding.

If debugging is the process of removing software bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in.

The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether submarines can swim.

Programming is one of the most difficult branches of applied mathematics; the poorer mathematicians had better remain pure mathematicians.

The lurking suspicion that something could be simplified is the world's richest source of rewarding challenges.

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.

The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.

Simplicity and elegance are unpopular because they require hard work and discipline to achieve and education to be appreciated.

Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence!

Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides between success and failure.

Teaching COBOL ought to be regarded as a criminal act.

In his mind he was always leaving, always going somewhere, always doing something else.

I spin worlds where we could be together. I dream you. For me, imagination and desire are very close.

There are two things that I know for certain guys are good for: pushing swings and killing insects.

If we want to make friends, let's greet people with animation and enthusiasm.

I do, in fact, have a book club. I meet with a couple of guys once a month of a lunchtime discussion of some interesting text, usually, but not always, philosophical.

Classical music is this music that was written by a bunch of dead people a long time ago.

Later on in life I was like, "Wow!" because that's exactly how it was. They don't care that you're mixed. They see you as one color.

All that matters in business is that you get it right once. Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are.

Too elevated qualities often unfit a man for society. We do not go to market with ingots, but with silver and small change.

It's probably been the worst three months of my life.