"It would be great if politics were fact-based, but it is not, and it is surely not nuance-based. What works in a classroom or a think tank does not work on Capitol Hill or in the White House. Obama sometimes seems to be running the Brookings Institution, not the country."

"A lot of people, including business leaders, think the future belongs to China. Globalization is not a zero-sum game, but we need to hone our skills to stay in play."

"The past always seems somehow more golden, more serious, than the present. We tend to forget the partisanship of yesteryear, preferring to re-imagine our history as a sure and steady march toward greatness."

"Religious belief, like history itself, is a story that is always unfolding, always subject to inquiry and ripe for questioning. For without doubt there is no faith."

"Rise early, act with intent, and let your accomplishments speak with silent authority."

"People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get."

"Rise early, act with intent, and let your accomplishments speak with silent authority. For where clarity resides, peace inevitably follows — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"The beauty of the unknown is that the strength of a community lies in its compassion."