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Usually Halfway Through A Book I Have A Serious Depression, So I Go On Safari On My Ranch In South Africa, Or Fishing Off My Island In The Seychelles. When I Come Back And Re-read It, I Think: 'what Was All That About, Smith? It's Fine, Just Get On With It.'

A Cynic Had Defined Aid As Simply The System By Which Poor White People In Rich Countries Gave Money To Rich Black People In Poor Countries To Put Into Swiss Bank Accounts.

Write For Yourself, Not For A Perceived Audience. If You Do, You'll Mostly Fall Flat On Your Face, Because It's Impossible To Judge What People Want. And You Have To Read. That's How You Learn What Is Good Writing And What Is Bad. Then The Main Thing Is Application. It's Hard Work.

At The Age Of 12 I Won The School Prize For Best English Essay. The Prize Was A Copy Of Somerset Maugham's 'introduction To Modern English And American Literature.' To This Day I Keep It On The Shelf Between My Collection Of Forester's Works And The Little Urn That Contains My Mother's Ashes.

The Really Disturbing Thing About Somalia Is That In A Country Where There Are Few Economic Opportunities, Pirates Are Perceived As Glamorous And Are Held In Awe By Young Boys Who Aspire To Their Lifestyle.