Riz’s Rotman Blog

I’m currently reading the Art of the start which has a lot of great quotes which I’d like to share:

I never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose.

- Ludwig van Beethoven

Innovation often originates outside existing organizations, in part because successful organizations acquire a commitment to the status quo and resistance to ideas that might change it.

- Nathan Rosenberg

(My personal Favorite)

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Wile E. Coyote… Genius. I am not selling anything, nor am I working my way through college, so let’s get down to cases. You are a rabbit, and I am going to eat you for supper. Now don’t try to get away! I am more muscular, more cunning, faster, and larger than you are… and I’m a genius. Why, you could hardly pass the entrance examinations to kindergarten. So, I’ll give you the customary two minutes to say your prayers.

 - The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979)

To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.

- Aldous Huxley

There are very few people who don’t become more interesting when they stop talking. (Man… I have to shut up more)

- Mary Lowry

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.

- Henry Ford

Thank you for sending me a copy of your book. I’ll waste no time reading it.

-Moses Hadas

Being in the army is like being in the  Boy Scouts, except that the Boy Scouts have adult supervision.

- Blake Clark

For certain people, after fifty, litigation takes the place of sex.

- Gore Vidal

It’s not what you know or who you know, but who knows you.

- Susan RoAne

I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.

- Blaise Pascal

Nature, which gave us two eyes to see and two ears to hear, has given us but one tongue to speak. (I really need to shut up more)

- Jonathan Swift

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

- Samuel Johnson

Books are good enough in their own way, but they are mighty bloodless substitute for for living.

- Robert Louis Stevenson

Great quotes. Great book. A lot of the content is taught in more formal and riggerous terms at Rotman. Some of the advice is counter to what we learned in b-school simply because what you learn in b-school applies mainly to big biz.  Finally, some of the advice hasn’t come up (yet) in b-school. I recommend this book–it’s a fun read and has great stories throughout.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 at 10:15 am and is filed under Random Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.