There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.

— Ben Orlin, Change Is the Only Constant

Hackers need to understand the theory of computation about as much as painters need to understand paint chemistry.

— Hackers & Painters, Paul Graham

Once an administrator rises to a certain level, nobody ever points out to him again the beauty of a simple declarative sentence, or shows him how his writing has become swollen with pompous generalizations.

— William Zinsser, On Writing Well

Here’s a tough-love life lesson: just because you set your mind to something doesn’t mean you can do it.

— Ben Orlin, Math With Bad Drawings

Risks such as unstable requirements or illdefined interfaces can be magnified when you bring a contractor into the picture.

— Rapid Development, Steve McConnell