As a child, I tried to play by the rules. I got very good grades in school; I was an Eagle Scout; and I believed in all of it.

Experience as much as you can and absorb a lot of reality. Otherwise, your writing will have the force of a Wiffle ball.

If there's reason for hope, it lies in man's occasional binges of cooperation. To save our planet, we'll need that kind of heroic effort, in which all types of people join forces for the common good

I have nothing but respect for the purist who won't work for the pharaoh. But I'm not that strong.

There's a built-up tension in religion, and if you can release it, you'll get a huge and satisfying laugh.

Every joke can't be dazzling. And if you think you spotted an inconsistency, you did!

I was brought up Catholic and, of course, I strayed and repudiated it. That's a painful thing to go through, because you have to look back and realize that you wasted a gigantic chunk of your life.

I have a deep suspicion of social institutions and tradition in general.

There's absolutely no way that something I do on my own is going to be seen in Malaysia.

I resisted parenthood for a long, long time. But having a daughter has given me a sense of hopefulness that I didn't have before.

Clever is the eunuch version of funny.

Real forgiveness in close relationships is never easy. It can’t be rushed or engineered.

The present is a point just passed.

When I was a kid, Jacques Cousteau was my hero and the person who inspired me to become an underwater explorer. I have many other people who inspired me after him, but he is still my all-time hero.

I hate reality shows like Big Brother and I'm A Celebrity. I'd rather watch a goldfish bowl.

This presents a serious question." They both looked at me. "What's that?" asked Lena. "Whether to start you off with a Doctor Who marathon or dive straight into Firefly.

There is so much to love and to admire in this life that it is an act of ingratitude not to be happy and content in this existence.

Brains can argue, but it takes heart to comfort.

Evolution isn't true, because if we evolved from monkeys, how can they still be here?

A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses.

For those of you who tried, but didn't make it, Settle down it's never what you think. The summit doesn't differ from the deep, dark valley, And the valley doesn't differ from the kitchen sink.