“The plans were drawn up by the best, then checked and re-checked by the very best, and then the checkers themselves were scrutinised, analysed and vetted for any sign of fifth columnism or martyr tendencies, or even a serious and hitherto undetected case of just-plain-stupid, and then the contractors went to work under a scheme which emphasised thoroughness and adherence to spec over swift completion, and which imposed penalties so dire upon speculators and profiteers that it would actually be safer just to throw yourself from a high place, and finally the quantity surveyors and catastrophe experts went to town on it with hammers and saws, lightning generators and torsion engines, and declared it sound.”
– Nick Harkaway, The Gone-Away World
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How much time should we spend on making sure no mistakes are made?
How much time should we spend on rereading, revising and editing a text before publishing it?
How much time should we spend on practicing before trying our skills in real life?
How much time should we spend on filling in evaluations and reports instead of getting things done?
How much trust should we have?
Do Books Read? 