In a way she actually preferred Peter to other people because of this. He always acted out of intelligent self-interest.

His vices were the vices of his time and culture, but his virtues transcended the milieu of his life.

Every person is defined by the communities she belongs to.

Madness, and then illumination.

Apparently the Dutch now prided themselves on being better at queues than the English, which was absurd, because standing cheerfully in line was the English national sport.

Ho said, 'I do not grieve because my feet have been cut off. I grieve because a precious jewel is dubbed a mere stone, and a man of integrity is called a deceiver. This is why I weep.'

The education that prepared me was my general education classes, which I tried to avoid when I was a stupid undergraduate, but which gave me the foundation of general knowledge that makes a career as a writer possible.