

“THE IMPORTANCE OF lethal microbes in human history is well illustrated by Europeans’ conquest and depopulation of the New World. Far more Native Americans died in bed from Eurasian germs than on the battlefield from European guns and swords. Those germs undermined Indian resistance by killing most Indians and their leaders and by sapping the survivors’ morale.”
― Guns, Germs and Steel
― Guns, Germs and Steel

“But I’ve never seen the Icarus story as a lesson about the limitations of humans. I see it as a lesson about the limitations of wax as an adhesive.”
― What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
― What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

“Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out. You're curious and smart and bored, and all you see is the choice between working hard and slacking off. There are so many adventures that you miss because you're waiting to think of a plan. To find them, look for tiny interesting choices. And remember that you are always making up the future as you go.”
― xkcd: volume 0
― xkcd: volume 0
Trọng’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Trọng’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Polls voted on by Trọng
Lists liked by Trọng