John Stephens > John's Quotes

“It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.”
― John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

“Go then, there are other worlds than these.”
― Stephen King, The Gunslinger

“You cannot stare evil in the face; it has no face. It has no body, no bones, no blood. Any attempt to describe it ends in glibness and self-delusion.”
― Douglas Preston, The Monster of Florence

“I’m afraid I don’t suffer petty bureaucrats gladly. A very bad habit, but one I find hard to break. Nevertheless, you will find, Dr. Kelly, that humiliation and blackmail, when used judiciously, can be marvelously effective”
― Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, The Cabinet of Curiosities

“I have often found it true that the louder a person speaks, the less they have to say.”
― Douglas Preston, Reliquary

“The truth shall make you free, but first it will make you miserable.”
― Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Gideon's Sword

“How awful a knowledge of the truth can be.”
― Douglas Preston, Blue Labyrinth

“People need history in order to know themselves, to build a sense of identity and pride, continuity, community, and hope for the future.”
― Douglas Preston, The Lost City of the Monkey God

“quotation from Einstein: ‘The only thing more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.’ I would suggest to Dr. Chauncy that in combination, the two qualities are even more alarming.”
― Douglas Preston, Still Life With Crows

“Sleep is an unfortunate biological requirement that both wastes time and leaves one vulnerable.”
― Douglas Preston, Brimstone

“and they’ve concluded that our democratic system is an abject failure. And they think we Americans are weak, lazy, whiny, self-important global has-beens, inflated with a false sense of entitlement. In this, they are probably correct.”
― Douglas Preston, Gideon's Corpse

“While dead men tell no tales, their corpses often speak volumes.”
― Douglas Preston, Brimstone

“Sometimes it takes courage—maybe all the courage you’ve got—to just live life.”
― Douglas Preston, The Lost Island

“nothing is impossible. you just need to learn how to bend the rules.”
― Douglas Preston, Dance of Death

“You mean, let our most excellent Congress deal with this situation in the same way it has handled our other pressing national problems, such as global warming, terrorism, education, and our crumbling infrastructure?”
― Douglas Preston, Beyond the Ice Limit

“People need history in order to know themselves,”
― Douglas Preston, The Lost City of the Monkey God

“Those who can’t do, teach, and those who can’t teach, critique.”
― Douglas Preston, Brimstone

“What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can't move, with no hope of rescue. Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn't been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won't be troubling you much longer.”
― Douglas Adams, The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts

“This book also contains what some people call ‘profanity’. I think they’re full of shit.”
― Lewis Black, I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas