Douglas Adams Quote
If, [the management consultant] said tersely, we could for a moment move on to the subject of fiscal policy. . .Fiscal policy! whooped Ford Prefect. Fiscal policy!The management consultant gave him a look that only a lungfish could have copied.Fiscal policy. . . he repeated, that is what I said.How can you have money, demanded Ford, if none of you actually produces anything? It doesn't grow on trees you know.If you would allow me to continue.. .Ford nodded dejectedly.Thank you. Since we decided a few weeks ago to adopt the leaf as legal tender, we have, of course, all become immensely rich.Ford stared in disbelief at the crowd who were murmuring appreciatively at this and greedily fingering the wads of leaves with which their track suits were stuffed.But we have also, continued the management consultant, run into a small inflation problem on account of the high level of leaf availability, which means that, I gather, the current going rate has something like three deciduous forests buying one ship’s peanut.Murmurs of alarm came from the crowd. The management consultant waved them down.So in order to obviate this problem, he continued, and effectively revalue the leaf, we are about to embark on a massive defoliation campaign, and. . .er, burn down all the forests. I think you'll all agree that's a sensible move under the circumstances.The crowd seemed a little uncertain about this for a second or two until someone pointed out how much this would increase the value of the leaves in their pockets whereupon they let out whoops of delight and gave the management consultant a standing ovation. The accountants among them looked forward to a profitable autumn aloft and it got an appreciative round from the crowd.
If, [the management consultant] said tersely, we could for a moment move on to the subject of fiscal policy. . .Fiscal policy! whooped Ford Prefect. Fiscal policy!The management consultant gave him a look that only a lungfish could have copied.Fiscal policy. . . he repeated, that is what I said.How can you have money, demanded Ford, if none of you actually produces anything? It doesn't grow on trees you know.If you would allow me to continue.. .Ford nodded dejectedly.Thank you. Since we decided a few weeks ago to adopt the leaf as legal tender, we have, of course, all become immensely rich.Ford stared in disbelief at the crowd who were murmuring appreciatively at this and greedily fingering the wads of leaves with which their track suits were stuffed.But we have also, continued the management consultant, run into a small inflation problem on account of the high level of leaf availability, which means that, I gather, the current going rate has something like three deciduous forests buying one ship’s peanut.Murmurs of alarm came from the crowd. The management consultant waved them down.So in order to obviate this problem, he continued, and effectively revalue the leaf, we are about to embark on a massive defoliation campaign, and. . .er, burn down all the forests. I think you'll all agree that's a sensible move under the circumstances.The crowd seemed a little uncertain about this for a second or two until someone pointed out how much this would increase the value of the leaves in their pockets whereupon they let out whoops of delight and gave the management consultant a standing ovation. The accountants among them looked forward to a profitable autumn aloft and it got an appreciative round from the crowd.
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About Douglas Adams
Adams wrote Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (1988), and co-wrote The Meaning of Liff (1983), The Deeper Meaning of Liff (1990) and Last Chance to See (1990). He wrote two stories for the television series Doctor Who, including the unaired serial Shada, co-wrote City of Death (1979), and served as script editor for its 17th season. He co-wrote the sketch "Patient Abuse" for the final episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. A posthumous collection of his selected works, including the first publication of his final (unfinished) novel, was published as The Salmon of Doubt in 2002.
Adams called himself a "radical atheist" and was an advocate for environmentalism and conservation. He was a lover of fast cars, technological innovation, and the Apple Macintosh.