“We don't want to think about money in an ideal life; in a well-lived l...” — John Lanchester Quote

We don't want to think about money in an ideal life; in a well-lived life, money wouldn't be one of our primary concerns, and we prefer to adopt the ostrich position.

Chefs get sucked into the trap of 'fine dining' because some guides make it central to their ratings system and because some customers have been trained to focus their expectations on the trappings and not on the food. It's all a gigantic waste of energy.

I'm fortunate in having journalism as a sideline to pay the bills, and I essentially do it in order to take as long as I want with books.

The early-'80s recession was good for good restaurants, not least because it put bad ones out of business.

The Philippines must ensure that it adopts, as much as possible, an equi-balancing strategy towards both China and America. To push back against Chinese adventurism by deepening Philippine dependence on another power runs counter to the very logic of protecting its national sovereignty.

I would love to adopt a child from a Spanish speaking country, because I want to have Spanish in the home.

The government's policy is to ensure a smooth environment where all political parties can function freely. The government will take appropriate action if anyone adopts a stand different from it.

When we classify an issue as a 'shield issue' it is usually because we feel that someone else occupies the high ground on that issue. We feel we can't win on that issue and so we adopt a defensive posture.