We need men and women to sit down and talk to each other about sex honestly and openly. That would help us fight Aids so immediately. But our lack of communication is hugely problematic.

If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets the number one priority is how are you going to communicate information? Even between different cultures here on Earth you get into communication problems.

Any problem big or small within a family always seems to start with bad communication. Someone isn't listening.

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

I wrote seven Myron Bolitar novels in a row and I never want to write a Myron book where he just solves a crime. Every one of them I want to be personal and I want him to grow and change. The problem with that is it makes the series limited you can't write a series where a guy is always going through some kind of crisis.

The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind because God sure isn't going to change His.

Maybe more climate activists will think about the climate change not as an international problem to be resolved in an air-conditioned meeting hall but as a guerilla war to be fought in the streets.

I think it's harder for people than it should be. But as more and more of us become carbon neutral and change the patterns in our lives to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem we are now beginning to see the changes in policy that are needed.

Some argue that now isn't the time to push the green agenda - that all efforts should be on preventing a serious recession. That is a false choice. It fails to recognise that climate change and our carbon reliance is part of problem - high fuel prices and food shortages due to poor crop yields compound today's financial difficulties.

Some say that I should settle down go slower and not push so hard so quickly for such transformational change. To them I say that you misunderstand the size of the problems we face the strength of the status quo and the urgency of the people's desire for change.