181 Quotes by Tracy Kidder

If you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you’re saying that their lives matter less than some others. And the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.

But he realized that Haiti was now so embedded in his mind and heart that he could never abandon the country so quickly.

Among engineers generally, the most common form of ambition – the one made most socially acceptable – has been the desire to become a manager. If you don’t become one by a certain age, then in the eyes of many of your peers you become a failure. Among computer engineers, I think, the wish to manage must be a virtual instinct.

What interests me is trying to catch the reflection of the human being on the page. I'm interested in how ordinary people live their lives.

The combination of domesticity and wildness - that's a deep expression.

If you live in the same small place long enough, something you don't like is bound to happen.

When I select a topic, it's usually a commitment of two to three years of my life.

In a very basic way, a prominent landmark such as Mt. Holyoke tells you where you are. They let you know that you're not the first person in a place.

Things were here before you and will be here after you're gone. The geographic features, especially, give you a sense of your own place in the world and in time.