The Quantum Spy Quotes

“Never settle for the lesser ambition. The job, the title, the conventional loyalties and rewards. Stay focused on the larger ambition, which is making a difference in the world.”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“If you are one in a million in China, you’re one of 1,300 people.”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“Misdirection. False signals. Spreading confusion. This is the Tao of deception.”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“Showing emotion was bad. Unless it was fake, then it was okay.”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“He liked to collect rocks. That day, he had gathered one from near the path down Longevity Hill toward the water. It was a fine-grained piece of granite that he found under a mulberry tree. He took it from his pocket now and, as was his practice, he inscribed the time and place he had found it, in tiny characters, on the rock. He would add it to his collection, hundreds of stones neatly aligned on his shelves at home, so that he could remember”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“name’s Ma Daiyu. I’m sure she’s heard”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“Life was about improvisation. The scripted operations were the ones that usually went wrong.”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“General Wu was about to say something and then thought better of it. Li walked him down the stairs to his car. As the door opened, Li leaned over and whispered in the general’s ear: “I tolerate much from my brother. We are a family. Please don’t ever do that again.”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy

“To the north of this pleasant robot of a city was the Malay Peninsula;”
― David Ignatius, The Quantum Spy