An American Son: A memoir by Marco Rubio

O’Brian, the priest said, “Love isn’t a feeling, it’s an action.” (p.g. 101)

“Neither then nor now do I believe government is the solution to all our problems. On the contrary, when government assumes too great a role in our economy and private affairs it crowds out the individual initiative and risk-taking entrepreneurs that are the engine of our prosperity and the essence of Americans’ problem-solving genius. Government at its best can make a positive difference in our lives when it listens to the people, and responds to their concerns effectively without exceeding its mandate and assuming responsibilities that we are able and prefer to manage ourselves.” (p.g. 102)

“America. America was the difference. ... America’s greatness isn’t self-perpetuating. Each generation is responsible for the America we leave our children, for ensuring we are not America’s last privileged generation.” (p.g. 216)

“I admired them, I loved them, but I never considered them successful. For me success was what you accomplished in your career, But now that I have achieved what I once believed was the height of success, I am starting to understand that in the end, just like my father and grandfather, the mark I make in this world will not be decided by how much money I make or how many titles I attain, Rather, the greatest mark I can leave is the one I will make as a father and a husband.” (p.g. 300)

The Amish Bride by Mindy Starns Clark & Leslie Gould

"First I cultivated around the rosemary. The warm scent overpowered everything nearby. It added wonderful flavor to roasted potatoes, root vegetables, and chicken, but as a tincture, if too much was used,.. it could be deadly. Like so many things in life, it could be part of a recipe for success or for disaster." (p.g. 254)


"I heard once that to truly forgive means you no longer resent the person." (p.g. 255)

I 'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I ever had by Tony Danza

" Nobody can force you to lift a finger to help someone else, but when you choose to make that effort, it also makes you feel more connected and less helpless. And let's be  honest; you feel good about yourself."
(p.g. 129)

"In the most basic, first stage, behavior is motivated only by the desire to avoid pain; in the highest stages, action is motivated by a strong sense of personal principle and concern for the welfare of others." (p.g. 180)

As Shakespeare says, " There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads ton to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." (p.g. 245)

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

" I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love, I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quite life." -- Leo Tolstoy (p.g. 15)

"... So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future." (p.g. 57)

"Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well into each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end." -- Edward Whymper (p.g. 200)

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

" ... if I can survive on three continents, then there is no obstacle he cannot conquer. While the astronauts, heroes forever, spent mere hours on the moon, I have remanied in this new world for nearlyu thirty years. I know that my achievement is quite ordinary. I am not the only man to seek his fortune far from home, and certainly I am not the first. Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination. " (p.g. 197)

The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

" Custom brings predictability, and predictability carries its own comforts...
Predictability is one thing, fear of change is something else." (p.g.89)

" The curse of modern times is the preponderance of male hormones in places where they can do long-term damage. Even if we're not talking about wars between nations or assaults on nature, there's still that aggressiveness that keeps us apart from each other and the problems we need to be working on. We have to somehow sublimate those male hormones, or at least get them under control." (p.g. 102)

" Complex things are easy to do. Simplicity's the real challenge." (p.g. 168)

Dawn by Elie Wiesel

"Being afraid, ... , is nothing. Fear is only a color, a backdrop, a landscape. The fear of either the victim or the executioner is unimportant. What matters is the fact that each of them is playing a role which has been imposed upon him. The two roles are the extremities of the estate of man. The tragic thing is the imposition. " (p.g. 52)

"Why must you try to hate me? " " In order to give my action a meaning which may somehow transcent it. " (p.g. 77)