“I heard the universe laugh. One tragedy doesn't disqualify you, it said. There''s still a lifetime of mild irritation to look forward to.”

“But here’s the thing about family, Ryan…blood doesn’t mean shit. You just need to surround yourself with people who do love you, and they become your family.”

“Some things are so frightful that a bit of madness is the only sane response. You know that, don’t you?”

“What do you want from me?" he asked hesitantly. "Your trust," i answered without any hesitation.”

“These terrorists are the antithesis of Islam. They’re not Muslim. Violence has no place in religion, and the terrorists are responsible for their own crimes, not the religion and not us.”

“How we care for ourselves gives our brain messages that shape our self-worth so we must care for ourselves in every way, every day.”

“Books were, and always would be, something a little magic and something to respect.”

“Fed on a media diet of really bad news, we live in a perpetual state of repressed panic. We are paralyzed by bad knowledge, from which the only escape is playing dumb. Ignorance becomes empowering because it enables people to live. Stupidity becomes proactive, a political statement. Our collective norm.”