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Disassemble the cells of a sponge (by passing them through a sieve, for instance), then dump them into a solution, and they will find their way back together and build themselves into a sponge again. You can do this to them over and over, and they will doggedly reassemble because, like you and me and every other living thing, they have one overwhelming impulse: to continue to be.

— Bill Bryson A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)

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More quotes by Bill Bryson

Why, it's a perfect little city. If you have never been to Durham, go there at once. Take my car. It's wonderful.

Notes from a Small Island (1995)

Physics is really nothing more than a search for ultimate simplicity, but so far all we have is a kind of elegant messiness.

A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)

The thing about the Army Corps of Engineers is that they don’t build things very well.

A Walk in the Woods (1997)

There are three stages in scientific discovery. First, people deny that it is true, then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.

A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003)

Let’s not lose our perspective here. The Smokies achieved their natural splendor without the guidance of a national park service and don’t actually need it now.

A Walk in the Woods (1997)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Bill Bryson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.