When I'm not channeling Machiavelli, I think of myself as a modern Stoic. I care about ethics but I'm also ruthlessly pragmatic. How'd I get that way? Mostly by running the legal department of a big company. But that's not all.

If you want to hear about some whistle-stops on my trip around the world, see my About Me story.

As for what I write, I'm a fan of Seneca and the Stoics. They prize the reason of the well-ordered mind above all else. It is by thinking that we make ourselves well.

My second spirit muse is Machiavelli. I don’t mind a bit that his methods make some squeamish. His lessons are brilliantly focused on a single question — how do I achieve my objectives? Does this method work? Why or why not?

* The obvious marriage of the two (what works and does it lead to better outcomes in life) gives us Pragmatic Wisdom.

* In the same manner but on a narrower scale, we have lessons about what lets us thrive at work in Career Paths.

* Kogito is my not-yet-launched publication on how to take the guesswork out of decision-making.

* While I think about how to make Kogito fly, Said Differently is a home for views that challenge the (often wrong) consensus.