In the center lay the exploded carcass of a lonely sperm whale that hadn't lived long enough to be disappointed with its lot.

Imagine" he said, "never even thinking, 'We are alone,' simply because it has never occurred to you to think that there's any other way to be.

Words used carelessly, as if they did not matter in any serious way, often allowed otherwise well-guarded truths to seep through.

I'm spending a year dead for tax reasons.

Much to his annoyance, a thought popped into his mind. It was very clear and very distinct, and he had now come to recognize these thoughts for what they were. His instinct was to resist them.

Having not said anything the first time, it was somehow even more difficult to broach the subject the second time around.

We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying.