Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse, #6)

by James S.A. Corey

Situations change and clinging too tightly to what came before kills you.

stay flexible

All through human history, being a moral person and not being pulled into the dramatics and misbehavior of others had caused intelligent people grief.

responsibly intelligent

“We’re not people,” he said. “We’re the stories that people tell each other about us. Belters are crazy terrorists. Earthers are lazy gluttons. Martians are cogs in a great big machine.” “Men are fighters,” Naomi said, and then, her voice growing bleak. “Women are nurturing and sweet and they stay home with the kids. It’s always been like that. We always react to the stories about people, not who they really are.”

stereotypes

A warmth. A sense of being where she belonged. Her team was counting on her, and her life depended on all of them doing their jobs with efficiency and professionalism and an unhesitating competence. When she died, she wanted it to be like this.

working as a team

“Against all evidence, I keep thinking the assholes are outliers.”

so true

“Politics is the art of the possible, Captain Pa. When you play at our level, grudges cost lives.”

politics is the art of possibilities