With nonfiction, I go in trying to be really honest about what my preconceptions are.

I tend to foster drama via bleakness. If I want the reader to feel sympathy for a character, I cleave the character in half, on his birthday. And then it starts raining. And he's made of sugar.

What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.

What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded . . . sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.

Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial.

Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth.

According to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving. Hurry up. Speed it along. Start right now.

It's a big world, and I really like it.

Character is that sum total of moments we can't explain.

The generalizing writer is like the passionate drunk, stumbling into your house mumbling: I know I'm not being clear, exactly, but don't you kind of feel what I'm feeling?

Kindness, it turns out, is hard - it starts out all rainbows and puppy dogs, and expands to include . . . well, EVERYTHING.

Courageous people know that saying ‘no’ to one idea enables them to say ‘yes’ to another.

Doubt, fear and regret are the three villains of success. However, if you close the door on the first two, you will never have to worry about meeting the third.

A price on carbon sufficient to keep 80% of current reserves underground, rebated directly to citizens.

There is one river of Truth which receives tributaries from every side.

They love their reasons for loving us almost as much as they love us, and most of the time more. It's not so good, that way.

The most difficult thing about an easy match is to make a weak opponent play bad football.

It's impossible to ravish me, I'm so willing.

Waiting on the World to Change.

They say you get nauseous in a green screen room, but I haven't yet. It's a little odd playing pretend with props and monitors that we're supposed to be watching, but I'll get used to it.

People needed to believe in gods, if only because it was so hard to believe in people.