A nice dedication
September 28th, 2010
When I open a new book, I always read the dedication with great curiosity and, on some occasions, great amusement. I have seen few more beautifully written than the one in a book on general relativity called “Gravitation” by Misner, Thorne and Wheeler:
We dedicate this book
To our fellow citizens
Who, for love of truth,
Take from their wants
By taxes and gifts,
And now and then send forth
One of themselves
As dedicated servant,
To forward the search
Into the mysteries and marvelous simplicities
Of this strange and beautiful Universe,
our home.
I also tend to check how the pages smell and adjust my loving affection for the book accordingly.
1 CommentMore career advice: Get a Diploma, but Then Get a Passport
September 1st, 2010
Q. What’s your best career advice to young graduates?
A. Three words: leave the country. Get out of here. That’s what I tell everybody — just go. I don’t care where you go, just go.
Q. Because?
A. Because the world is changing. It is no longer acceptable to speak only English if you are 25 and younger. It’s unacceptable. You have little chance of being successful if you speak only one language.
If you don’t understand Islam, you’re in trouble because Islam comprises somewhere between 1.6 billion and 1.8 billion people, and there are markets that are untapped that need to be tapped.
So you’ve got to get out of your front door, get out of the comfort and quiet of your home, and your safety zone, and step into a pool of risk where you have no idea what the outcome is going to be. Out of it all, you will have a much broader understanding of the world’s cultures, and you will have a much clearer idea of how the world perceives our culture, and all the value, and the benefits, and the beauty of our culture.
There is nothing more important. I don’t care where you went to business school. I don’t care whether your grades were good or bad. You have to leave the country.
From an interview in the NY Times ‘Corner Office’ column.
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