Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Sarah Vowell

Quote by Sarah Vowell

“Take for example the commencement address he [James Garfield] delivered at his alma mater Hiram College in the summer of 1880. ... The only thing stopping this address from turning into a slacker parable is the absence of the word 'dude'.”

Quote by Sarah Vowell

Book:Assassination Vacation
Create image

Work

Assassination Vacation

This book combines travelogue with historical inquiry, chronicling the author's journey to visit locations where famous assassinations took place. The author offers a light-hearted perspective on these events, blending personal anecdotes with historical facts. more

Author

Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell

Sarah Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American author, journalist, and voice actress known for her humorous and insightful nonfiction works. She was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and grew up in Bozeman, Montana. Vowell is celebrated for her unique take on American history, blending personal anecdotes with historical analysis. Her notable books include 'Assassination Vacation' and 'The Wordy Shipmates.' She also voiced the character 'Mirage' in the animated film 'The Incredibles.' Vowell has contributed to The New York Times and regularly appears on the radio show 'This American Life.' Her writing style is witty, ironic, and deeply humanistic, exploring themes of identity, memory, and national identity. more

You May Also Like

“In the wild a plant and its pests are continually coevolving, in a dance of resistance and conquest that can have no ultimate victor. But coevolution ceases in an orchard of grafted trees, since they are genetically identical from generation to generation. The problem very simply is that the apple trees no longer reproduce sexually, as they do when they’re grown from seed, and sex is nature’s way of creating fresh genetic combinations. At the same time the viruses, bacteria, fungi, and insects keep very much at it, reproducing sexually and continuing to evolve until eventually they hit on the precise genetic combination that allows them to overcome whatever resistance the apples may have once possessed. Suddenly total victory is in the pests’ sight—unless, that is, people come to the tree’s rescue, wielding the tools of modern chemistry.”

ResistancePlantsPesticidesCoevolution
Book:The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
Create image

“I was struck by the fact that for Joel abjuring agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals is not so much a goal of his farming, as it so often is in organic agriculture, as it is an indication that his farm is functioning well. “In nature health is the default,” he pointed out. “Most of the time pests and disease are just nature’s way of telling the farmer he’s doing something wrong.”

SustainabilityFarmingPesticidesOrganic Farming
Book:The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Create image

“Organic foods are richer in nutrients. This means they improve satiety and naturally help regulate body weight…Plants produce antioxidants to protect themselves from pests like insects and to withstand harsh weather. When they’re treated with chemicals such as pesticides, they don’t need to produce as much of their own natural defenses, so the levels are lower.” (p.203)”

WeatherChemicalsInsectsPlantsNutrientsPesticidesSatietyBody WeightAntioxidantsNatural DefensesOrganic Foods
Book:Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches
Create image