Agents are deal makers, and they're really, really good at making deals. But they're also exceptionally helpful after the deal is made - agents act as a good intermediary between authors and publishers whenever disagreements come up.

For people like me, books are something solid and real, whereas digital stuff is a bit more ethereal. I like the trophy on my shelf, the presence in my home. A nice book is just as valuable as a decoration as a beautiful porcelain urn - and, let's face it, a hell of a lot more useful.

If getting a great body was easy, every woman would look Jessica Biel, and every guy would have a body like Kellan Lutz.

I occasionally read digital books when I'm traveling, but I do so begrudgingly.

If your diet is dialed in, you can train in a pretty subpar manner and still get passable results. On the other hand, if your training is fantastic but your diet is crap, you have a harder road ahead of you.

The best training program in the world is absolutely worthless without the will to execute it properly, consistently, and with intensity.

Strictly speaking, intensity in the weight training context refers to the amount of work required to achieve the activity and is proportional to the mass of the weights being lifted - that is, how heavy the weight is relative to how strong you are.

'Rules dieters' find limitations oddly freeing, because the restrictions create a framework that's easy to follow. Essentially, rules dieters don't do well when they're let off plan, mainly because they are usually emotionally attached to food in some way.

I've often said that while gaining muscle can be very difficult, it's also pretty simple - at the heart of it, you just need to take in more energy than you expend, and use an intelligent program. This is especially true for beginners.

My clients train hard. They don't scream or throw weights - they just push hard, trying to get more out of themselves than their bodies want to give, trying to walk that terrible, beautiful line between controlled aggression and all-out insanity.