I've always had an abundance of material about the subjects of my biographies.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the richness of resources available for creating biographies.
Walter Isaacson reflects on his experience as a biographer, highlighting that he has always found an extensive amount of material to draw from when researching the lives of notable individuals. This suggests that great stories and insights can be discovered when examining the lives and contributions of extraordinary people, and it underscores the importance of thorough research in the field of biography.
In practice
In a lecture about the importance of storytelling, one might quote Isaacson to highlight how rich biographies can inform personal narratives.
I visited Jobs for the last time in his Palo Alto, Calif., home. He had moved to a downstairs bedroom because he was too weak to go up and down stairs. He was curled up in some pain, but his mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant
Polite and velvety leaders, who take care to avoid bruising others, are generally not as effective at forcing change.
for Steve, less is always more, simpler is always better. Therefore, if you can build a glass box with fewer elements, it’s better, it’s simpler, and it’s at the forefront of technology. That’s where Steve likes to be, in both his products and his stores.
What are the five products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest, because they’re dragging you down. They’re turning you into Microsoft. They’re causing you to turn out products that are adequate but not great.
When there are multiple versions of a story, you really have three ways to go. You can pick the most sensational version. You can try to balance things in your gut to get to what you think is the honest truth. Or you can err on the side of kindness.
The people who invented the twenty-first century were pot-smoking, sandal-wearing hippies from the West Coast like Steve, because they saw differently,” he said. "The hierarchical systems of the East Coast, England, Germany, and Japan do not encourage this different thinking. The sixties produced an anarchic mind-set that is great for imagining a world not yet in existence.
The duties of a teacher are neither few nor small, but they elevate the mind and give energy to the character.
With but a few exceptions, we don't have this personal study under masters any more. Craftsmanship has sunk very low. We no longer have any universally creative persons who are able to guide young learners not only in technical matters but also, at the same time, in a formal way.
When I was growing up, I knew I wanted to be a mathematician, but I had no idea what that entailed.
Many think of memory as rote learning, a linear stuffing of the brain with facts, where understanding is irrelevant. When you teach it properly, with imagination and association, understanding becomes a part of it.
My favorite subject was recess. Fortunately for me, I had a mother who believed I was smart.
They told me that, as a woman, I'd never get into graduate school in physics, so they got me a job as a secretary at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and promised that, if I were a good girl, I would take courses there.
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