"When he needed a piece of wood for some job, he chose it carefully, looked at it as though asking who it was, examined its grain, and looked for suggestions from the wood itself. For me it was a lesson to be taken as a rule of life: never do things by chance, never exaggerate needlessly, as when one gives too much importance to a person, or too much love, or an excessive tip."

Reflections and Shadows, Saul Steinberg with Aldo Buzzi (translated by John Shepley)