I wish I could adjust my voice, but it's just what's happened to me. It's because I've lived abroad for a long time, and my wife is English and my kids all have English accents, and every voice I hear is English. I've never intentionally changed my accent at all.

To an American the whole purpose of living, the one constant confirmation of continued existence, is to cram as much as sensual pleasure as possible into one's mouth more or less continuously. Gratification, instant and lavish, is a birthright

If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by 'we' I mean every living thing. To attain any kind of life in this universe of ours appears to be quite an achievement. As humans we are doubly lucky, of course: We enjoy not only the privilege of existence but also the singular ability to appreciate it and even, in a multitude of ways, to make it better. It is a talent we have only barely begun to grasp.

Eating in Sweden is really just a series of heartbreaks.

It is always quietly thrilling to find yourself looking at a world you know well but have never seen from such an angle before.

Romans park their cars the way I would park if I had just spilled a beaker of hydrochloric acid on my lap.

I can't fix the world. If you want to make a difference in life, you have to direct your energies in a focused way.