The cast of characters building to the punch line is in constant flux, but as it happens, this is the group gathered around a kitchen table on a quiet street in Bethesda, Maryland, one night this past spring.

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Despite the public image of a politician in perpetual motion, Mr Sarkozy can be found in this book in quiet contemplation, staring blankly out of a window, or into the night.

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This is a question that many leaders ask themselves in quiet moments, often in the middle of the night.

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