"My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the follow of human ambition. I most this skull (?), I look at it and I say, 'You've go the wrong fellow. You may not believe in life, but I don't believe in death. Move on!'" Chapter 1, P. 5.

"In both cases we look at an animal and see a mirror. The obsession with putting ourselves at the centre of everything is the bane not only of theologians but also of zoologists. I learned the lesson that an animal is an animal, essentially and practically removed from us, twice: once with Father and once with Richard Parker." Chapter 8, P. 31.

"Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light...