It probably sounds too basic even to mention, but sometimes we need reminders of ultimate importance to help clarify our focus and motivate action.

FORBES: Back to Startup Basics: The Only Thing That Matters (Hint: It's Simple)

It sounds so basic.

WSJ: Growth Market: Asia's Wealth Investors

But children must hear the basic sounds, or phonemes, of their language before they can become skilled readers.

ECONOMIST: The cat sat on the tam | The

The warm-up is a series of exercises with the five basic vowel sounds.

WSJ: Bill Schuman: A Teacher of Note Behind Opera's Stars | Creating

Sounds almost like the basic tenets of capitalism to me.

FORBES: Readers Say: Khan Academy and Wage Stagnation In Taiwan

And the basic idea of what the company is trying to do sounds just absolutely great.

FORBES: Have John Doerr and Kleiner Perkins Invested Too Much In Cleantech?

It sounds fantastic, but they're missing out on some of the basic science and exploration Nasa should be doing.

BBC: Is Nasa looking in the wrong place for life?

It sounds like bland marketing speak, and on one level, this is a pretty basic retailing tactic.

WSJ: Comforting the Wealthy