Rogue

by Mark Frost

  #59: SOMETIMES YOU FIND OUT MORE WHEN YOU ASK QUESTIONS TO WHICH YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER.

  #60: IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE ANSWER YOU GET, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION.

  #61: IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE THE RIGHT WAY, DO IT YOURSELF.

  #62: IF YOU DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO NOTICE YOU, ACT LIKE YOU BELONG THERE AND LOOK BUSY.

  #63: THE BEST WAY TO LIE IS TO INCLUDE PART OF THE TRUTH.

  #65: THE DUMBEST GUY IN A ROOM IS THE FIRST ONE WHO TELLS YOU HOW SMART HE IS.

  #68: NEVER SIGN A LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT HASN’T BEEN APPROVED BY A LAWYER WHO WORKS FOR YOU.

  #70: WHEN YOU’RE IN TROUBLE, EMPHASIZE YOUR STRENGTHS.

  #72: WHEN IN A NEW PLACE, ACT LIKE YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.

  #73: LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TACTICS AND STRATEGY.

  #74: 99 PERCENT OF THE THINGS YOU WORRY ABOUT NEVER HAPPEN. DOES THAT MEAN WORRYING WORKS OR THAT IT’S A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY? YOU DECIDE.

  #75: WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION, DON’T LET WHAT YOU CAN’T DO INTERFERE WITH WHAT YOU CAN.

  #76: WHEN YOU GAIN THE ADVANTAGE, PRESS IT TO THE LIMIT.

  #77: THE SWISS ARMY DOESN’T AMOUNT TO MUCH, BUT NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEIR KNIFE.

  #78: THERE’S A REASON THE CLASSICS ARE CLASSICS: THEY’RE CLASSIC.

  #79: DON’T MAKE ANOTHER’S PAIN THE SOURCE OF YOUR OWN HAPPINESS.

  #80: GO EASY ON THE HARD SELL. PERSUASION IS THE ART OF MAKING OTHERS BELIEVE IT WAS THEIR IDEA.

  #81: NEVER TAKE MORE THAN YOU NEED.

  #82: WITHOUT A LIFE OF THE MIND, YOU’LL LIVE A MINDLESS LIFE.

  #83: JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE PARANOID DOESN’T MEAN THAT SORRY IS BETTER THAN SAFE.

  #84: WHEN NOTHING ELSE WORKS, TRY CHOCOLATE.

  #86: NEVER BE NERVOUS WHEN TALKING TO A BEAUTIFUL GIRL. JUST PRETEND SHE’S A PERSON, TOO.

  #87: MEN WANT COMPANY. WOMEN WANT EMPATHY.

  #88: ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE PERSON WITH THE WHISTLE.

  #91: THERE IS NOT—NOR SHOULD THERE BE—ANY LIMIT TO WHAT A GUY WILL GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO IMPRESS THE RIGHT GIRL.

  #92: IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TELL YOU MORE, SAY LESS. OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS, AND CLOSE YOUR MOUTH.

  #94: YOU CAN FIND MOST OF THE WEAPONS OR EQUIPMENT YOU’LL EVER NEED AROUND THE HOUSE.

  #96: MEMORIZE THE BILL OF RIGHTS.

  #97: REGARDING EYEWEAR AND UNDERWEAR: ALWAYS TRAVEL WITH BACKUPS.

  #98: DON’T WATCH YOUR LIFE LIKE IT’S A MOVIE THAT’S HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. IT’S HAPPENING TO YOU. IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

  #100: STAY ALIVE.

  OPEN ALL DOORS, AND AWAKEN.

  WILL’S LIST OF RULES TO LIVE BY

  #1: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KEEP A SECRET, DON’T TELL ANYBODY.

  #2: YOU CAN’T LIVE YOUR LIFE TWO DAYS AT A TIME.

  #3: IF YOU HAVE TO HIDE YOUR TRUE FEELINGS FROM YOUR FRIENDS, THEY’RE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.

  #4: IF ANY TASK YOU UNDERTAKE REQUIRES YOU TO “DIE TRYING,” YOU MIGHT WANT TO RECONSIDER YOUR PLAN.

  #5: HEALING TAKES MUCH LONGER THAN YOU THINK. THE BIGGEST SCARS YOU CARRY AREN’T THE ONES YOU CAN SEE.

  #6: THOSE WHO CAN’T DO, DON’T.

  #7: SOMETIMES, IN ORDER TO GET COMPLETELY SANE, YOU HAVE TO GO A LITTLE CRAZY.

  #8: DO THE RIGHT THING, ALWAYS, AND RISK THE CONSEQUENCES.

  #9: TAKE CARE OF THE MINUTES, AND THE HOURS WILL TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES.

  #10: WHEN VISITING A FOREIGN LAND, IT IS ALWAYS WISE TO OBSERVE AND ABIDE BY THE CUSTOMS OF THE LOCAL CULTURE. UNLESS THEY’RE TRYING TO EAT YOU.

  #11: IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW YOU DO IT. IT ONLY MATTERS THAT YOU DO IT.

  #12: IN THE FACE OF OVERWHELMING ODDS, DO ONE SMART THING AT A TIME.

  #13: READ BOOKS TO GET SMARTER. READ PEOPLE TO BECOME WISER.

  #14: BEING BRAVE MEANS BEING AFRAID AND GOING AHEAD WITH IT ANYWAY.

  #15: AN OPEN DOOR IS EITHER A GREETING OR A TRAP. BEST TO DECIDE WHICH BEFORE YOU ENTER.

  #16: WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF YOUR ROPE, DON’T HANG AROUND.

  #17: KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE. KEEP YOUR ENEMIES IN A BAG AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER.

  #18: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE. AND SOME FRIENDS YOU CAN TRUST. AND A LITTLE LUCK DOESN’T HURT EITHER.

  #19: DON’T EVER GIVE UP ON ANYBODY.

  #20: (from Ajay) It is our rarest possession, more precious than any treasure from nature, God, or man. It cannot be bought, sold, traded, or stolen. You only have so much of it, and you never know when it will run out, so you mustn’t waste it or just let it pass or, heaven forbid, ever try to kill it.

  IT IS TIME. SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY. FOR IF YOU CAN MASTER THIS ONE SIMPLE AND ELUSIVE SKILL, MY FRIEND, YOU WILL FULLY AND TRULY BE ALIVE.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Many thanks to James Thomas, editor extraordinaire, and to Barbara Marcus, Michelle Nagler, Mallory Loehr, Jenna Lettice, and John Adamo at Random House Children’s Books. Thanks, as always, to my friend and agent Ed Victor, and to my wife, Lynn, for having the courage, patience, and perspective to marry a working writer.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MARK FROST studied directing and playwriting at Carnegie Mellon University. He partnered with David Lynch to create and executive produce the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks. Frost cowrote the screenplays for the films Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of eight previous books, including The List of Seven, The Second Objective, The Greatest Game Ever Played, and The Match. To learn more, visit ByMarkFrost.com.