Ernest Boyer

"We humans are no match for the lion in strength; outstripped by the ostrich in speed; win no medals against the dolphin in swimming; can smell less acutely than the dog; cannot see as well as the hawk during the day, or the cat at night.  Yet, as far as we know and understand, it is the human species that excels in the use of symbols.  The sending and receiving of sophisticated messages set us apart from all other creatures on earth".

Steven Kotler, The Angle Quickest for Flight

"What do the following things have in common:  President James Buchanan; the two-toed sloth; the chow chow; the hyoid bone; mercury; -40 degrees; Kahoolawe; the pyramids; Midnight Cowboy; the flags of Nepal, Libya, and Ohio?"

"President James Buchanan was the only bachelor president; the two-toed sloth is the only land mammal besides man that mates face to face; the chow chow is the only dog with a black tongue; the hyoid bone, which supports the tongue, is the only bone in the human body that doesn't touch another bone; mercury is the only metal that's liquid at room temp; -40 degrees is the only temp where fahrenheit and celsius thermometers read the same; Kahoolawe is the only uninhabited Hawaiian Island; the pyramids are the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing; Midnight Cowboy is the only x-rated film to win the academy award for Best Picture; Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag; Libya is the only country with a single color flag; and Ohio is the only state with a non-rectangular flag.....One of a kinds, all of them."

Wayne Johnston, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams

"Leo Tolstoy" he read "1828 - 1910. So where is Leo perhaps-the-greatest-novelist-of-all-time Tolstoy now Mr. Smallwood?  Can you tell me that, where is poor Leo now?"

"Right there," I said, pointing at the book.

Howard W. Campbell Jr.

"America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves".

Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-five

" How nice-to feel nothing, and still get full credit for being alive">