Quotes from David Baldacci

I'm scattered, and then that last hundred pages, bam, I'm a laser.

See, that why I ain't go to church. Figger I got me a church wherever I be. Want'a talk to God, well I say, "howdy-howdy, God," and we jaw fer a bit.

It's often said that God works in mysterious ways. You have to really think about what He's trying to do. You can't be lazy and believe in God; He doesn't make it that easy. It takes spirit and faith and passion to really believe. Like most things worthwhile in life, you get back what you put into it.

Time doesn't really heal, it just makes you not to give a crap.

Half truths were a wonderful way to inspire credibility.

Life went on in Washington, much like it had for two hundred years. Factions were scattered everywhere, pouring money, massive intellects and established heavyweights into the business of politics, which essentially meant screwing others before they got around to screwing you.

Life was not fair. If you wanted something you had to take it. Before someone else took it from you. Neatly dissected down to its essence, life was one long series of lily pad hoppings. The quick and the resourceful were able to adapt and survive; all others were simply crushed as a more nimble creature landed on the lily pad they had occupied for too long.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, was above corruption so long as human beings were involved.

I will never forget that the passing down of memories is the strongest link in the gossamer bridge that binds up as people.

The real worth of a person came from how he acted during the bad times.

Listening is an underrated asset. People these days, they don't listen as much as they should. I read a lot, I travel a lot and I'm always listening.

The military is a very cool world to write about. I went down to Ft. Benning, Ga., for military training, and I learned a lot about soldiers and officers and why they joined up and what their life has been like.

Why can't people just sit and read books and be nice to each other?

When a poor man gives something, that is a sacrifice indeed. When a rich man gives something, it hardly rises to the same level.

Small mistakes tend to lead to large ones. Ours is a lifetime appoinment, and all you have is your reputation. Once it's gone, it doesn't comeback.

Depending on the situation, sometimes you can know a person better in ten minutes than someone you have crossed paths with all your life.

Today might not be so good. But tomorrow, you got another chance to get it right.

All you have to do [to win a Pulitzer Prize] is spend your life running from one awful place to another, write about every horrible thing you see. The civilized world reads about it, then forgets it, but pats you on the head for doing it and gives you a reward as appreciation for changing nothing.

The real worth of a person came from how he acted during the bad times. (John Fiske)

It's my experience that most folk who ride trains could care less where they're going. For them it's the journey itself and the people they meet along the way. You see, at every stop this train makes, a little bit of America, a little bit of your country, gets on and says hello.

Because life doesn't work that way. You can do everything perfectly. Do everything you think you're supposed to be doing. Fulfill every expectation that other people may have. And you still won't get the results you think you deserve. Life is crazy and maddening and often makes no sense.

You know what kind of person it takes to run for President? Not normal. They could start out okay, but by the time they reach that level they've sold their soul to the devil so many times and stomped the guts out of enough people that they are definitely not like you and me, not even close.

It's not getting from A to B. It's not the beginning or the destination that counts. It's the ride in between...This train is alive with things that should be seen and heard. It's a living, breathing something -- you just have to want to learn its rhythm.

The human spirit was the strongest medicine on earth. And sometimes all it needed was a little encouragement to pull off a miracle.