“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.”
― A Short History of Nearly Everything
― A Short History of Nearly Everything
“Drag your thoughts away
from your troubles...
by the ears, by the heels,
or any other way you can manage it.”
―
from your troubles...
by the ears, by the heels,
or any other way you can manage it.”
―
“It is easy to overlook this thought that life just is. As humans we are inclined to feel that life must have a point. We have plans and aspirations and desires. We want to take constant advantage of all the intoxicating existence we've been endowed with. But what's life to a lichen? Yet its impulse to exist, to be, is every bit as strong as ours—arguably even stronger. If I were told that I had to spend decades being a furry growth on a rock in the woods, I believe I would lose the will to go on. Lichens don't. Like virtually all living things, they will suffer any hardship, endure any insult, for a moment's additional existence. Life, in short, just wants to be.”
― A Short History of Nearly Everything
― A Short History of Nearly Everything
Stress Free Reading Challenges
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— last activity Feb 17, 2026 02:13PM
Love reading challenges, but hate all the stress of rules and deadlines? This is the place for you. Doesn't matter if you are a super speedy read ...more
Kathy’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Kathy’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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