It was clearly one of those mornings when I was particularly American.

We study there a lot because... what other choice does society give us, right? It's Starbucks or death, sometimes.

One thing," I said, when we had broken apart and the swirling feeling in my head subsided. "Maybe...don't tell your mom too much about this. I think she has ideas." "What?" he asked, all innocence, as he put an arm around my shoulders and led me back toward his house. "Don't your parents cheer and stare when you make out with someone? Is that weird where you come from? I guess they don't get to see it much, though. From jail, I mean." "Shut it, Weintraub. If I knock you down in the snow, these kids will swarm and eat you.

Don't get stabbed. It makes everything awkward.

Quarrels are a natural part of relationships. Making up is always the best part.

We learn that many great thinkers were convinced that the Bible contained the Ancient Mysteries, but not in the literal words—that the words on the pages were codes, and that the Bible is comprised of heavy-handed and useless story covering up something much more important and interesting. I get the feeling that [Dan Brown] is trying to tell me something, but I am not biting, reader.

Writing is one of the few careers for which you essentially train yourself, the other two major ones being juggling and pickpocketing.