“If you want to know a country, read its writers.”

“The country with the most writers is ironically probably the country with the least readers—USA. And once my parents die, my entire reading base will disappear.”

“There’s nothing I need or want to know from the writers I admire that isn’t in their books. It’s better to read a good writer than meet one.”

“Until you're about the age of twenty you read everything, and you like it simply because you are reading it. then between twenty and thirty you pick up what you want, and you read the best, you read all the great works.after that you sit and wait for them to be written. But you know the least know, the least famous writers, they are the better ones.”

“If you want to become a better writer, you have to write. But you also have to read. One of the things I love to read about is the craft of writing — advice, tips, and techniques from other writers.”

“As a nonfiction writer you must get on the plane. If the subject interests you, go after it, even if it's in the next county or the next state or the next country. It's not going to come looking for you. Decide what you want to do. Then decide to do it. Then do it.--William Zinsser”