How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
He had to "invent" the bow and arrow—he almost laughed as he moved out of the water and put his shoes on. The morning sun was getting hot and he took his shirt off. Maybe that was how it really happened, way back when—some primitive man tried to spear fish and it didn't work and he "invented" the bow and arrow. Maybe it was always that way, discoveries happened because they needed to happen. (12.7)
Brian is learning the truth behind the old saying, "necessity is the mother of invention." Again and again in the book we see that Brian's creativity is inspired by the need to adapt and survive. Here Brian recognizes himself as part of a long line of creative humans whose problem-solving skills were the only thing standing between themselves and extinction. Maybe that's what the Google guys were thinking when they came up with their brilliant idea: "Man, I really need to know, right now, how much the average octopus weighs!"
Quote #8
Brian stood at the end of the long part of the L of the lake and watched the water, smelled the water, listened to the water, was the water. (13.1)
In order to catch his prey, Brian has to observe the world around him with complete focus, using all of his senses. Hey, no texting in the woods, dude. Like so many other things that Brian is learning, this is a kind of focus that isn't necessary in the day-to-day life of the city.
Quote #9
A hundred funny cartoons he had seen about skunks. Cute cartoons about the smell of skunks, cartoons to laugh at and joke about, but when the spray hit there was nothing funny about it—he was completely blind for almost two hours. (14.13)
Ah, reality. How you differ from TV. Pepe Le Pew this ain't.