Quotes from Gene Bedell

WHY DO MEN DELIGHT IN WORK? FUNDAMENTALLY, I SUPPOSE, BECAUSE THERE IS A SENSE OF RELIEF AND PLEASURE IN GETTING SOMETHING DONE—A KIND OF SATISFACTION NOT UNLIKE THAT WHICH A HEN ENJOYS ON LAYING AN EGG. —H. L. Mencken O

WHAT REALLY KNOCKS ME OUT IS A BOOK THAT, WHEN YOU'RE ALL DONE READING IT, YOU WISH THE AUTHOR THAT WROTE IT WAS A TERRIFIC FRIEND OF YOURS AND YOU COULD CALL HIM UP ON THE PHONE WHENEVER YOU FELT LIKE IT. —J. D. Salinger G

Looking at this decision to pick a law firm from your standpoint, and not from the standpoint of your company, what is it you're looking for?

When you and your daughter pass a teenager with a ring in her nose and purple hair and you say, "What an idiot," your daughter knows what you're doing, even if you'd deny it to yourself. You're sending out a message that she'd better not even dream of piercing her body or dyeing her hair. She knows you're trying to persuade her, and she may react by resolving not to be persuaded.

No matter how exciting, new, original, or creative you personally believe your proposal is, always remember that these can be exactly the characteristics people translate to mean risk and unpredictability. Emphasize your proposal's attributes that meet personal needs, not those characteristics that emphasize change and unpredictability.