Continents and countries meant nothing to him; it was only the sky that moved him, the happenings on the other side of the atmospheric window. His work ethic was strong, his ego engorged, his results groundbreaking, but he wasn't satisfied. He had never been satisfied and never would be.
-- Augustine (chapter 1)

Importance: This description introduces Augustine and captures his misplaced priorities. The only thing Augustine has ever truly cared about is his work, and the main reason he cares so much about that is because of his ego. He wants to make scientific discoveries not for the purpose of enlightening the world, but to establish himself as a brilliant man, a giant in the scientific community. Shortly after this quote, the author uses a metaphor to further make this point, stating that Augustine "wanted to crack the universe open like a ripe watermelon" (5).

His was an all-consuming one-directional romance with the emptiness and...
-- Augustine (chapter 1)