“One senses that, in these conditions, no amount of wet-wiping could bring true hygiene.”

“There's nothing like a pack of mules to give one a sense of entourage.”

“The last thing we wanted was for the Machiguenga to be sad again. Sadness appeared to bring out their violence.”

“Running an expedition can bring out the worst in a man. It can make you a power-crazed monster.”

“In some warped way, having an embalmed body with us made perfect sense.”

“My father never told us how the stories worked. He didn't reveal the layers, the nuggets of information, the fragments of truth and fantasy. He didn't need to -- because, given the right conditions, the stories activated, sowing themselves.”

“If hot food is they key to maintaining an expedition's stamina, then low grade gut-rot alcohol is the key to sustaining its sense of pleasure.”