Book Description
Now available as part of the Oxford Paperback Reference series, this new expanded edition of Peter Kemp's acclaimed collection illuminates the world of the writer, from classical literature to crime fiction and from the quill to the PC. Organized by subject, it includes topics ranging from Tools of the Trade and Writer's Block to Ghost Stories and Critics. Shakespeare, Shaw, and Johnson have their say, but authors also include Alice Munro on Illustration and Pushkin on Earning a Living, A. D. Hope on Fables and Fairytales, Rimbaud on Baudelaire and Harold Pinter on Omission. New themes in this edition include Graffiti and Epitaphs, and there are many more quotations by writers on other writers: Ben Okri on Cervantes, Walter de la Mare on Lewis Carroll, and Philip Roth on William Faulkner.The long uphill struggle in playwriting is getting to the top of page one. - Tom StoppardI'd love to write a book a year, but I don't think I'd have any fans. - Donna TarttLads don't write novels. They're down the pub. - Martin Amis on LadlitYou reach an age when every sentence you write bumps into one you wrote thirty years ago. - John UpdikeReading . . . is a strenuous and pleasurable contact sport. - Maureen HowardThere were no innocent blondes in crime fiction. - Ed McBainNever make your publisher pay the postage is the first rule of literary life. - Julian Barnes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Educational
I found this book exceptionally educational and inviting.I recommend this book to any English major interested in literary quotations.The book is organized, concise and easy to follow.This purchase was well worth it! ... Read more

Book Description
From the pithy to the provocative, The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations contains more than 8,000 illuminating and highly topical quotations from 1914 to the present. As much a companion to the modern age as it is an entertaining and useful reference tool, it takes the reader on a tour of wit and wisdom from such varied sources as Charlie Chaplin, Frank Zappa, Winston Churchill, Monica Lewinsky, and George V.

Arranged alphabetically by author, each quotation is prefaced by succinct biographical information about the speaker, and many are followed by a brief note to explain its context and the responses it received. Together they give unparalleled insight into the global culture, politics, and thought of the last nine decades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful
This book replaces completeness with something better-- quality.Keyword and thematic indexes.A couple of sentences giving background for each person and, if necessary, the circumstances of the quote.This is the thing to pick up if you're interested in quotes that are a little hipper than Barlett's I've-heard-that-a-
million-times quotes.Great fun to browse, e.g.:"I think it pisses God off it you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it"--Alice Walker ... Read more

Amazon.com
Some may search quotation compilations for wisdom or inspiration, but most crack these reference tomes looking for a laugh. Ned Sherrin has therefore done the world a favor by culling the witticisms and snide remarks from the vast quotation libraries, creating a volume completely dedicated to the funny remark. It's superbly browsable, but as the nearly 5,000 quotations are grouped by more than 100 themes, it's also a reference with practical applications. For a quip on consumerism, George Orwell comes through with, "Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket." Dean Martin opines about liquor: "You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Ronald Knox defines a baby as "a loud noise on one end and no sense of responsibility on the other," and for politics, Art Buchwald says of Richard Nixon, "I worship the quicksand he walks in." It's an irresistible dictionary. --Stephanie GoldBook Description
This hilarious collection of humorous quotations, full of wisecracks and wit, snappy comments and inspired fantasy, has been specially chosen by Ned Sherrin. Now with even more quotes on more subjects: from Gambling to Hollywood, from Diets to Shopping. Find the best lines from your favourite jokesters and wordsmiths, add that extra something to a speech or presentation, or just enjoy a good laugh. 'If God had wanted us to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor.' Joan Rivers on Health'It's hard to be funny when you have to be clean.' Mae West on Humour'Don't get mad, get everything.' Ivana Trump on Marriage'They misunderestimated me.' George W. Bush on Self-Knowledge'If it's shiny, I buy it.' Graham Norton on Shopping'Whales get killed only when they spout.' Denis Thatcher on Speeches ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

When you need a great quip that fits the occasion ...look here!

This is a treasure trove of humor for all occasions. There are many books of quotations from all kinds of people and for all occasions and topics; but here the book keeps to what is humorous.It is a great source to have handy; but it also makes for wonderful light hearted reading ,just to start at the front and to keep going.It is organized several ways so that a quote on a subject or by personality is easy to find. It was published in Britain so has a lot of lines that are new over here.
Here are a couple I enjoyed;

On being told that his fly buttons were undone,Winston Churchill commented;"No matter,dead birds do not leave the nest."

To her husband a chicken farmer in California,after a flash flood had wiped out his entire flock. "I told you to stick to ducks."

"Oh what a wonderous bird is the Pelican!
His beak holds more than his belican.
He takes in his beak,food enough for a week,
But I'll be damned if I know the helican."

"I opened it at page 96--the secret page,on which I
wrote my name to catch out borrowers and book sharks."
Flan O'Brien

It'd be hard to find a better book of humorous quotes.

Useful (and funny) reference for all
Collection of witty, funny, sarcastic or apprantely innocent quotations from famous and not so famous people.

Book is well organized. Quotations are divided into categories. These categories are given in alphabetical order starting from 'Actors and Acting, 'Advertising' to 'Writers and Writing' and 'Youth'. Surprisingly there is no topic with Z! You may also find some every interesting categories. Just to give you an idea there are quotations on 'Quotations', 'Insults and Invective' and 'Censorship'.

For every quotation there is, along with the author name, a brief description of where and when was it said/used and in some cases why was it used. That adds to the meaning of the quote.

Such as why Winston Churchill said 'And they say the old man's getting deaf as well'.

At the end of book, apart from the keywork index, there is also an author index, in case you need quotes from a particular person.

A useful book for adding spice to your speech and writing or just skim through it for literally pleasure.

Just to quote an example from the book: 'I know heaps of quotations, so I can always make quite a fair show of knowledge' -- O. Douglas

An Excellent Resource, And A Great Read Too
A fantastic book of quotations, and the most comprehensive collection of humorous quotes I've yet to come across.The organization is excellent, with an adequate list of themes serving as the table of contents.Further aiding discovery of the perfect quote is an index of authors/sources, and a very well developed keyword index.Both of these supplemental indices are a bit confusing, but not overly so.They list the applicable theme and the numbered entry under that theme; there are no page numbers given.It's a bit confusing on the first few uses, after that it is simple.

The book is a fun, quick read as well, dense (with its relatively small print) with goodies from John Updike, Cheryl Tiegs, Henry Kissinger, Frank Zappa, George Foreman, P. J. O'Rourke, etc.I heartily recommend it.

A Great Quote Book
This book was great.I loved every quote.It had a lot of excellent ideas.I will make you laugh and teach you life leason's at the same time.One of my friends loaned it to me and I had to go out and get my own.Ifyou like quotes then you will love this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Some may search quotation compilations for wisdom or inspiration, but most crack these reference tomes looking for a laugh. Ned Sherrin has therefore done the world a favor by culling the witticisms and snide remarks from the vast quotation libraries, creating a volume completely dedicated to the funny remark. It's superbly browsable, but as the nearly 5,000 quotations are grouped by more than 100 themes, it's also a reference with practical applications. For a quip on consumerism, George Orwell comes through with, "Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket." Dean Martin opines about liquor: "You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Ronald Knox defines a baby as "a loud noise on one end and no sense of responsibility on the other," and for politics, Art Buchwald says of Richard Nixon, "I worship the quicksand he walks in." It's an irresistible dictionary. --Stephanie GoldBook Description
This hilarious collection of humorous quotations, full of wisecracks and wit, snappy comments and inspired fantasy, has been specially chosen by Ned Sherrin. Now with even more quotes on more subjects: from Gambling to Hollywood, from Diets to Shopping. Find the best lines from your favourite jokesters and wordsmiths, add that extra something to a speech or presentation, or just enjoy a good laugh. 'If God had wanted us to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor.' Joan Rivers on Health'It's hard to be funny when you have to be clean.' Mae West on Humour'Don't get mad, get everything.' Ivana Trump on Marriage'They misunderestimated me.' George W. Bush on Self-Knowledge'If it's shiny, I buy it.' Graham Norton on Shopping'Whales get killed only when they spout.' Denis Thatcher on Speeches ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

When you need a great quip that fits the occasion ...look here!

This is a treasure trove of humor for all occasions. There are many books of quotations from all kinds of people and for all occasions and topics; but here the book keeps to what is humorous.It is a great source to have handy; but it also makes for wonderful light hearted reading ,just to start at the front and to keep going.It is organized several ways so that a quote on a subject or by personality is easy to find. It was published in Britain so has a lot of lines that are new over here.
Here are a couple I enjoyed;

On being told that his fly buttons were undone,Winston Churchill commented;"No matter,dead birds do not leave the nest."

To her husband a chicken farmer in California,after a flash flood had wiped out his entire flock. "I told you to stick to ducks."

"Oh what a wonderous bird is the Pelican!
His beak holds more than his belican.
He takes in his beak,food enough for a week,
But I'll be damned if I know the helican."

"I opened it at page 96--the secret page,on which I
wrote my name to catch out borrowers and book sharks."
Flan O'Brien

It'd be hard to find a better book of humorous quotes.

Useful (and funny) reference for all
Collection of witty, funny, sarcastic or apprantely innocent quotations from famous and not so famous people.

Book is well organized. Quotations are divided into categories. These categories are given in alphabetical order starting from 'Actors and Acting, 'Advertising' to 'Writers and Writing' and 'Youth'. Surprisingly there is no topic with Z! You may also find some every interesting categories. Just to give you an idea there are quotations on 'Quotations', 'Insults and Invective' and 'Censorship'.

For every quotation there is, along with the author name, a brief description of where and when was it said/used and in some cases why was it used. That adds to the meaning of the quote.

Such as why Winston Churchill said 'And they say the old man's getting deaf as well'.

At the end of book, apart from the keywork index, there is also an author index, in case you need quotes from a particular person.

A useful book for adding spice to your speech and writing or just skim through it for literally pleasure.

Just to quote an example from the book: 'I know heaps of quotations, so I can always make quite a fair show of knowledge' -- O. Douglas

An Excellent Resource, And A Great Read Too
A fantastic book of quotations, and the most comprehensive collection of humorous quotes I've yet to come across.The organization is excellent, with an adequate list of themes serving as the table of contents.Further aiding discovery of the perfect quote is an index of authors/sources, and a very well developed keyword index.Both of these supplemental indices are a bit confusing, but not overly so.They list the applicable theme and the numbered entry under that theme; there are no page numbers given.It's a bit confusing on the first few uses, after that it is simple.

The book is a fun, quick read as well, dense (with its relatively small print) with goodies from John Updike, Cheryl Tiegs, Henry Kissinger, Frank Zappa, George Foreman, P. J. O'Rourke, etc.I heartily recommend it.

A Great Quote Book
This book was great.I loved every quote.It had a lot of excellent ideas.I will make you laugh and teach you life leason's at the same time.One of my friends loaned it to me and I had to go out and get my own.Ifyou like quotes then you will love this book. ... Read more

Book Description
Oxford Quotations by Subject is a collection of over 7,000 quotations, arranged thematically for easy look-up. Covering an enormous range of nearly 600 themes, there is every subject you can think of, from the more traditional topics of Courage or Parliament, to topical themes such as The Internet or Genetic Engineering. The quotations that stand together in each particular theme range from the very old to the modern: both Horace and Maeve Binchy comment on the theme The Present, while Desmond Morris and Jeremy Bentham give their views in the category on Animal Rights. A useful author index (including descriptions and context lines) gives quick and easy access to what is in the dictionary and provides information on each author. ... Read more

Book Description
At last, an easy to use, comprehensive dictionary of quotations that contains entries from the Bible, Shakespeare, and rock'n'roll. Inside you'll find exciting new quotations from contemporary figures including Gloria Steinem and Adrienne Rich on feminism, Faye Wattleton and Dr. Ruth Westheimer on sex, Cher on intimacy, David Henry Hwang and Steven Biko on race, George Burns on old age, Vince Lombardi on victory, and Madonna on egotism. Recent subjects such as ecology and computers make this an extraordinary useful reference for public speakers as well as for the creation of your own written works. Created by leading experts in linguistics and lexicography. First-time-ever quoted from scores of contemporary women and men. Easy alphabetical arrangement of subjects. Subject index, author index, and a unique conceptual index to facilitate access to related ideas. Brief biographies of every individual quoted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A good reference
Given that this is a paperback, it's rather ridiculous and unfair for it to be denigrated for not being some scholarly in-depth all-encompassing encyclopedia.It's meant to be a handy guide to a lot of quotations, some long, some short, some well-known, some not so well-known, on 880 different categories.And if one doesn't find what s/he is looking for in any given category, it refers the reader to the numbers of similar concepts, such as "Contempt (also see concepts 327 [emotions], 689 [rudeness], 698 [sarcasm], 734 [shame])."I've gotten an incredible amount of use out of it for almost ten years now.The only complaints I do have about it are, first, that quite a few of the people listed in the index in the back have since passed on, and I'm not just talking about those who died after the publication year of 1993.I've had to write in their death years by hand.For example, Don Herold, who was born in 1889, has a blank space in the parenthesis, giving the impression he was still alive then, when he actually died in 1966!The editors really should have done a little more homework on that front.And while this is only a paperback reference book, I still wish the quotes had been given some context, like if they came from a song or the speech of a character in a book or movie instead of just something the person wrote or said in real time, or if the person were referring to something in particular and not just making some deep philosophical statement off the cuff.After all, we all know that if you take something out of context, you can interpret it to mean something that the writer or speaker never intended at all, such as the famous George Santayana line, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," which was actually referring to the danger of repeating historical cycles, and not some kind of warning to learn from things like wars or genocides.But overall, those who are just looking for a good quote to use in a paper or speech or to add to a list of quotes or whatnot aren't going to care that this reference guide isn't as deep as a more encyclopedic reference.

Don't Mistake the Name for the University Press!
This is not a true reference book, and should not be confused for one.You have to read the label, folks!It was NOT published or, heaven forbid, conceived by Princeton University. It is a Dell publication -- just another little ole paperback out on the market looking for sales because it's got "nifty" quotes from "relevant" personalities and celebrities of the day. Oh, and some "heavier" quotes from famous dead men of the Western world. Hey,I'm from the Western world too -- only not a dead man (or a live one either, for that matter). And if some of the sources are wrong, well-- it's not supposed to be real research anyway, right? No,wrong!

This is no reference tool.
If all you want is quotes, you will enjoy this book.If, however, you need a reference tool that is accurate, look elsewhere.About one in three quotes is misquoted, misattributed or both.Citations following the quotesonly include the authors' names, so why is the book so full of errors? Clearly, little research went into this "reference" book.Howappalling that it was published by a major university!

Overall a very good and highly recommended book.
Though the book is lacking REALLY good quotes in some areas, it does provide a wide array of topics.It's alphabetical listing is very convenient.If you don't find what you're looking for under one topic, itlists other areas in which you might find something similar. If you can'tfind an appropriate quote in this book, one does not exist.There arequotes for ANY situation!!It also gives a brief description of each ofthe authors which is highly convenient if you'd like to find more books orqoutes by that author. I would definitely recommend this book to anyonelooking for a great source of familiar and highly amusing quotations. ... Read more

Book Description
From Woody Allen on aggression to Leon Trotsky on civilization, Joseph Kennedy on endurance, and Austin O'Malley on thinking, The Penguin Thesaurus of Quotations is a treasury of witty, wise, and memorable lines. Here are more than 12,000 quotes--culled from sources as wide-ranging as the Bible and the Internet--organized alphabetically into approximately 800 categories. Within each category, quotations are listed alphabetically by author. The selections in this meticulously researched volume are intelligent and well-chosen, with each quote containing detailed source notes. Both a browser's paradise and an indispensable tool for students, speechmakers, letter writers, and quotation aficionados, this book includes clever lines you've never read as well as old favorites whose exact wording you don't fully remember and want to be sure you get right.

"It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations." --Winston Churchill, speaking of himself ... Read more

Amazon.com
According to Dean Acheson, "The first requirement of a statesman is that he be dull." But people don't always do what they're supposed to do, as illustrated by the more than 4,000 political quotations compiled by Antony Jay. Trenchant, morbid, ironic, or inane, these bon mots from prominent leaders are everything but dull. The dictionary is arranged alphabetically, running the lexical gamut from British Labour politician Diane Abbott (who opined "Being an MP is the sort of job all working-class parents want for their children--clean, indoors and no heavy lifting") to French novelist Emile Zola, who said simply, "J'accuse." But there is also a subject index that allows you to search for witticisms featuring the words "rotten," "bicker," "subversion," or "handkerchief." In political history, perspective is all. Reading the words of Prince Metternich ("Error has never approached my spirit") and H.L. Mencken ("Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy") is as instructive about the past as it is about the present. It makes for fun browsing, too. --Stephanie Gold Book Description
This thought-provoking and fascinating collection has been newly enlarged and updated. From Machiavelli to Nelson Mandela, Antony Jay (co-author of the famous TV series' Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister ) has chosen the words and ideas which have shaped the world we live in today. This new edition covers quotations generated by events such as the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, upheavals in the European Union, the re-election of George W. Bush, and the British Labour government's historic third term. And, of course, the gaffes and the back-biting that form the everyday currency of political in-fighting are fully detailed too. Misquotations, slogans, and other special categories are grouped together for easier access, and an extensive index helps you to trace that half-remembered phrase. Essential reading for politicians, journalists, writers, and general readers interested in quotations, modern politics, or political history.'I can only go one way. I've not got a reverse gear.' Tony Blair'I met Saddam Hussein exactly the same number of times as Donald Rumsfeld met him. The difference is that Donald Rumsfeld met him to sell him guns' George Galloway'That's Lazarus with a triple bypass.' John Howard, when asked if he thought he could regain leadership of the Australian Liberal party'If I want to talk to Europe who do I call?' Henry Kissinger 'The job of the Federal Reserve is to take away the punch bowl just when the party is getting good.' William McChesney Martin Jr. 'We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.' Condoleeza Rice 'No one is fit to be trusted with a secret who is not prepared, if necessary, to tell an untruth to defend it.' Lord Salisbury ... Read more

Book Description
This 17th edition, under Kaplan's splendid direction, contains over 20,000 quotations, representing 2,500 authors, 90 of whom are new to BARTLETT'S. Newcomers include Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tony Kushner, Tammy Wynette, Margaret Atwood, Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, Frank O'Hara, Martin Amis, Kingsley Amis, Mother Teresa, Jacques Cousteau, Rudolph Giuliani, Alfred Hitchcock, L. M. Montgomery, Eric Ambler, Jerry Seinfeld, J. K. Rowling, Katharine Graham, and Emma Goldman. With quotations presented in chronological order, in the famous BARTLETT'S tradition, BARTLETT'S gives the reader a vast panorama of the world, from the ancient Egyptians to the latest movie, from the inspirational and the beautiful to the sardonic and the downright funny.Download Description
First published in 1855, BARTLETT'S FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS has been completely updated and revised for the seventeenth edition by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan. This 17th edition, under Kaplan's splendid direction, contains over 20,000 quotations, representing 2,500 authors, 90 of whom are new to BARTLETT'S. New comers include Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Tony Kushner, Tammy Wynette, Margaret Atwood, Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, Frank O'Hara, Martin Amis, Kingsley Amis, Mother Teresa, Jacques Cousteau, Rudolph Giuliani, Alfred Hitchcock, L. M. Montgomery, Eric Ambler, Jerry Seinfeld, J.K. Rowling, Katharine Graham, and Emma Goldman.With quotations presented in chronological order, in the famous BARTLETT'S tradition, BARTLETT'S gives the reader a vast panorama of the world, from the ancient Egyptians to the latest movie, from the inspirational and the beautiful to the sardonic and the downright funny. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

The definitive source for quotations
Bartlett's is where I go if I want to see exactly who said what, when, and in precisely what context.John Bartlett started his work about 150 years ago with approximately 250 people, and now in its current version, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations has more than 25,000 quotes from 2,500 people.The chronological layout also makes this very appealing and accessible, and moreso a book one can easily sit down with on a rainy day to peruse.

One thing I take issue with is the fact that several quotes from notable people I have picked up from reading elsewhere (perhaps even earlier versions of Bartlett's!) are not listed in the current book, among them:

"We were given two ears and one mouth that we may hear the more and speak the less." -Zeno

"We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."-Aristotle

"I have nothing, yet have everything; and although I possess nothing, still of nothing am I in want." - Menander

The quotes above are not listed, while others are, such as "show me the money" from the movie Jerry Maguire in 1996!Somehow I think the former quotes will hold the test of time while that inane quote from the Hollywood movie will probably not even make it into the Bartlett's version two iterations down the line.

In my opinion, the only thing lacking is a proper gravitas; not enough emphasis is given to timeless figures such as Aristotle or Zeno in favor of contemporary quotes which in truth, possess very little meaning or truth, or in some cases, none at all.

That being given as a proviso, this is still the de facto source for quotations.

**** 1/2 Stars.

Priceless for students, great for researchers and excellent for literature lovers.
This review is for the book, not the CD ROM or any other Bartlett's related electronic media.
If you consider yourself well read, it will not take youlong to find out where "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations" fails and be somewhat disappointed.If you don't read a lot, and need the book for school or reference, it will probably be adequate.
Certainly no book of quotations can be exhaustive and Bartlett's never claims to be, their are; however, some vital literary idioms that are noticeably missing.
Having covered the book's shortcomings, I cannot point out that as a resource and reference this book can be not only helpful, but indispensable for college students.
"Bartlett's Familiar Quotations" is like the King of the Cliff's Notes research, and just like Cliff's Notes, His Majesty should never be used to replace the material it summarizes.A basic understanding of the context of the book's quotations is far more valuable then the quotes themselves.
REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ! OR AT LEAST REFERENCE REGULARLY.

BARTLETTS QUOTES
A really cool book that no one thinks of reading. Most of the phrase used in today's world can be located here, and their origins reviewed.

Bartlett's Quotes
A new way to look at where and how the quotes came to be.

Start Your Title Search Here
If you're looking for a title to your novel or original screenplay, start with this exhaustive compilation of the great quotations of the world. Another reason to use it is to find out whether it was Mark Twain or H. L. Mencken who first said dotty things about California! ... Read more

Book Description
The dictionary shows philosophers at their best (and their worst), at their most perverse and their most elegant. Organised by philosopher, and indexed by thought, concept and phrase, it enables readers to discover who said what, and what was said by whom. Over 300 philosophers are represented, from Aristotle to Zeno, including Einstein, Aquinas, Sartre and De Beauvoir, and the quotations range from short cryptic phrases to longer statements.
This Dictionary of Philosophical Quotations will not change your life. It will change your mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

an excellent tool for locating & dissecting great minds
Since the dawn of time there have been many great thinkers who have discussed may great topics. It would take me many more years than I have to find my through all of their readings. Therefore, I have been searching fora tool that can help me to navigate philosophical thought. This text doesit well,Alfred Jules Ayer and Jane O'grady, who have already traveleddown the same road that I am just starting on, have put together aincomparable piece of literature that can serve as a "roadmap" ifyou will, of philosophical thought.With this, I can read summaries ofmany thinkers readings and use the maticulous reference section to obtainthe works of the thinkers who have most intrigued me. It also is listedalphabetically by authors name rather than topic which seems to be thestandard for most other philosophical reference guides. This will providethe more experienced philosophers an excellent reference guide with adifferent means of query.

The only source for truly useful quotations.
In the course of competitive debate, there arises a need for quotations to support one's point of view.Reading the actual books and excerpting them takes far more time than is available, so summaries become necessary.Thisleaves one two options:quote dictionaries or 'beginner's guides.'thelatter include few actual quotations, just the voice of some omniscientnarrator stating his opinion.quote dictionaries have a diffeent failing: they are full of 'literary merit' and 'popular idiom', but they containrelatively few quotations of actual substance.this book is the answer. it is so well edited that i could follow the philosophers entire train ofthought in his own words without parentheticals.it even includes anexcellent index and is very modestly priced for a book of this magnitude. if you've ever had the desire to understand all the philosophers, great andobscure, in their own words, then reference them handily, this is the bookfor you. ... Read more

Book Description
Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf, Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy, Louis Armstrong and Mae West, Woody Allen and Dorothy Parker--these are but a few of the figures who have given voice to our century's most memorable quotations. Now, in The
Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations, A.J. Augarde gathers together 6,000 of the best known quotes from our time, drawn from novels, plays, poems, essays, speeches, films, radio and television, songs, and even advertisements.
Here readers will find the history-making quotes, from Churchill's stirring wartime speeches ("Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"), to Neville Chamberlain's infamous "Peace for our time," to Spiro T. Agnew's outrageous "If you've seen one city slum
you've seen them all." On the lighter side, readers will enjoy such wits as Woody Allen ("It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens"), Fran Lebowitz ("Food is an important part of a balanced diet"), and Dorothy Parker ("This is not a novel to be tossed aside
lightly. It should be thrown with great force"). There are generous excerpts from literature, from the novels of Hemingway and Joyce, the poetry of Auden, Eliot, and Pound, the plays of Lillian Hellman and Anita Loos, and the lyrics of Irving Berlin and Cole Porter ("In olden days a glimpse of
stocking / Was looked on as something shocking / Now, heaven knows, / Anything goes"). Augarde also includes famous book titles (such as Shepherd Mead's "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"), song titles (Larry Morey's "Whistle While You Work"), even cartoon captions (Bill Maudlin's
wartime "I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages"). And of course, the book brims with wisdom, from Count Ciano's "Victory has a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan," to Lord Morley's "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him," to Alfred Adler's "It is always easier to
fight for one's principles than to live up to them." Designed both for reference and for browsing, the Dictionary arranges quotations in alphabetical order by author, with attributions after each quote so that readers can, if they wish, return to the original sources.In addition, the index helps
the reader trace quotations from their most important keywords, so that if you know the quote but not the author, you can still find it easily.
Whether you want to find out who first used the expression "a walk on the wild side" (it was Nelson Algren) or simply enjoy discovering fine turns of phrase or witty remarks (such as Beatrice Lillie's off-the-cuff comment to a waiter who spilled soup on her dress: "Never darken my Dior
again"), The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations offers a unique view of the twentieth century through some of its most memorable bon mots. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A wonderful collection of memorable quotes...
This is a great book. I love to just sit and page through it, reading quotes by modern day authors, poets, and artists. I turn to it to look something up and wind up reading through it for an hour or more. Funny quotes, sad quotes, quotes that epitomize life in the 20th century.

The format is pretty standard for books of this type. Artists are listed alphabetically, by the names they are known, (Maya Angelou, rather than Maya Johnson, for example). The index uses the standard format of listing the significant words from each quotation, these keywords also listed alphabetically. Then the first few letters of the author's name are shown, along with the page number and the item number of the quote itself. I didn't find any problems with pagination, as did another reviewer, every quote I looked up had an accurate page and item number (perhaps he is dealing with an older edition than I am).

All in all a wonderful book, and an excellent addition to any reference library. Don't hesitate, buy it!

A browser's delight
Not just a reference book, this volume provides hours of innocent pleasure to the reader who wants to thumb through it reading what strikes his eye.

It assembles quotations, mostly 20th century, from literature, politics,and art, more heavily leaning on British and European sources. A foreignlanguage quotation is given in the original and also in translation. Theauthor has worked to get the true author, e.g., when Groucho Marx said,"I'd horsewhip you, if I had a horse," the author is given not asGroucho but as the screenwriter.

Quotations are given in context. Thusinstead of simply telling you that Churchill said, "Blood, toil,tears, and sweat," you are given several paragraphs of the speech asChurchill gave it in the House of Commons. This allows you to appreciatethe way the speech rhythms develop and flow.

One slight problem is thatthe pagination in the paperback edition was not changed from the hardbackand thus is incorrect; however, it is easy enough to figure out the correctpage. ... Read more

Book Description

"I would much rather have written the best song of a nation than its noblest epic."
-- Edgar Allan Poe

This collection of wise, witty and wonderful words by and about musicians of all kinds and styles contains hundreds of entries. The Music Lover's Quotation Book brings together memorable words and quips from composers, performers, writers, listeners, critics and fans. The book covers a wide range of musical genres and time periods from classical masters to jazz legends to country crooners to the bad boys of hip-hop and rap."You can't cheat in mathematics or poetry or music," John Steinbeck writes in Sweet Thursday, "because they're based on truth."

There is certainly truth to be found in this collection of quotes along with humor, sadness, wisdom and insight. Whatever your musical tastes or interests, The Music Lover's Quotation Book will entertain, amuse and enlighten you.

Customer Reviews (1)

Delightful observations on music & musical styles
Words and quips from composers, performers, and listeners of music provide hundreds of entries covering a range of musical genres. This is packed with delightful observations on music and musical styles: the perfect gift for that musician who 'has everything' but the proper quote at hand for an occasion. ... Read more

Book Description

Entertaining and easy to use,The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations brings together more than 18,000 fresh and intriguing remarks, witticisms, judgments, and observations on 1,500 alphabetically arranged subjects. More than 11,000 of these quotations have never before appeared in a quotation book. Full of the world's most apt sentences and less familiar quotations from Shakespeare to Malcolm X, from Lenin to Salman Rushdie, from Emily Dickinson to Camille Paglia, here is the best new large quotation book in decades -- and the liveliest one available.

These funny, profound, touching, provocative, and memorable quotations, chosen not for their familiarity but for their quality and their relevance, cover subjects from adolescence and adoption to yuppies and zoos. Each quotation has a detailed, accurate citation. Read:

* Henry Kissinger and Desmond Tutu on leadership;

* John F. Kennedy and Alexander Solzhenitsyn on the press;

* Tallulah Bankhead and Andrea Dworkin on sex;

*Marlon Brando and Paul Gauguin on obesity;

* Emerson, Wilde, and Twain on just about anything.

Customer Reviews (2)

A witty, wise, entertaining and amusing collection.
THE COLUMBIA DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS.By Robert Andrews.1092 pp. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.ISBN: 0231071949(hbk.)

This is a marvelous book that one can spend many happy hours with. It contains over 18,000 remarks, witticisms, judgments and observations on 1,500 alphabetically arranged subjects.Some people like to keep such books around for when they need a quotation for a specific purpose, writers and speakers for example.But a far better use for this one is to have it handy for occasional browsing.More than 11,000 of its quotations have never appeared before in a quotation book, and all have been chosen not for their familiarity but for their quality and relevance to the times.They range from the funny and memorable through to the profound, and Andrews has made such an excellent choice that one's greatest wish while reading this book is for a photographic memory. Passages will be found here from Shakespeare and Malcolm X, Lenin and Salman Rushdie, Emily Dickinson and Camille Paglia, Oscar Wilde and Frank Zappa, and a host of others.It's the perfect book for a certain kind of moment, and there's enough here to keep anyone intrigued and entertained for a very long time.

A wonderful reference book that searches the souls of many.
I throughly enjoy this book on a daily basis.It has extreme quotations from a wide variety of interesting and exciting people from the past and present.

I have learned that even though you might not agree with whateveryone says, that people are entitled to their opinion, and that is whywe as a people are so lucky to have freedom.

I highly recommend thisbook to people of all ages. It will keep you entertained and it is awonderful way to get to know yourself in the process. ... Read more

Book Description
This up-to-date collection offers a vivid picture both of the world today, and of the landmark events and key voices leading to it. From Scott's Antarctic Expedition in 1912 to the attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001, it charts watersheds such as two World Wars as well as the ebbs and flows of popular culture.Containing 5,000+ quotations from authors as diverse as Elizabeth Arden, Billy Connolly, Bertolt Brecht, Linda Evangelista, Eddie Izzard, Alison Lurie, Carl Sagan, William Shatner, and Desmond Tutu, the dictionary is author-organized with generous cross-referencing and keyword and thematic indexes. Special categories for film taglines and cartoon captions have been added to accompany misquotations, official advice, newspaper headlines, and many more. Informative and entertaining, this book is a vital part of the modern reference shelf, perfectly designed to answer the questions, 'Who said that...and when...and why?' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Works as a history of modern times in soundbites
This is an attractive book and a lot of fun to read.Just open it anywhere and start reading.You will be amused.There are bon mots from sports stars and politicos, from singers and actors, and from just about anybody famous or halfway so, most of them English speaking with a smattering of Europeans thrown in for a bit of haute culture.

There are "Special Categories" such as Advertising Slogans, Cartoons (just the tag lines, not the drawings, including one of my favorites by Peter Steiner showing a dog at the keyboard of a computer who says to another dog, "On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog."Oh boy, how true that is!), Film Titles, Misquotations, Opening Lines (of novels mostly) including George Orwell's "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."(This, from 1984, is given again under George Orwell.)There's a Thematic Index, "Computers," "Fashion," "Love," etc., and a Keyword Index.

Edited by Elizabeth Knowles, who also edits the traditional The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 5th Ed. (2001), this book might be viewed as a companion to that larger tome.The layout and the organization are similar, but this book is set in a slightly larger type so it is easier to read, but with fewer words per page.The significant difference is that Modern Quotations begins in the twentieth century whereas the larger book knows no time constraints.Consequently, no Karl Marx here, no Charles Darwin, but there is singer Dean Martin who famously observed, "You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on."

To be fair, I should note that scientists are also quoted, and a lot of them. Richard Dawkins, Albert Einstein, Edward O. Wilson, Stephen Hawking, Richard Feynman, etc. made the grade.And philosophers: Bertrand Russell, Eric Hoffer, Gilbert Ryle, W.V.O. Quine, Yogi Berra, etc. as well, although Thomas Kuhn did not.

Some people are here but not at their best (at least in my opinion).For example Satchel Paige reminds us not to look back, "Something might be gaining on you," which is good, but I would prefer to hear again his advice on the social ramble not being restful.Or in the case of biologist Edward O. Wilson there is just one entry in which he corrects the old idea that the human brain begins as a tabula rasa, and that is only attributed to him by Tom Wolfe; however I would have preferred something like, "It is exquisitely human to make spiritual commitments that are absolute to the very moment they are broken" or"When the gods are served, the Darwinian fitness of the members of the tribe is the ultimate if unrecognized beneficiary"--both from On Human Nature (1978).

There is of course a noticeable Brit bias to the selections, especially in the sense that minor British politicians appear but we are spared those of the American sort.In truth, the publishers have a good eye for the English language marketplace and include a number of quotes from Canadians, Indians and Australians.

The question arises, if you have the larger, more general Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, should you buy this book?To answer this I compared the number of 20th-century quotations from the larger book with those in this book and found that not only are there a lot more, many of the people quoted are given additional space and sometimes different expressions.In only one case did I find a 20th-century person that appeared in the larger book left out in this one (actress Michelle Pfeiffer who wasn't saying much anyway).On the other hand, Sylvia Plath was cut from ten to eight quotations.But then again Norman Mailer went from four to six.

Sometimes there is an improvement in clarity in this volume.Gilbert Ryle is quoting as writing "The dogma of the Ghost in the Machine."In the larger book this is tagged with the words, "on the mental-conduct concepts of Descartes."With no Descartes to cross-reference here, we find the very sensible, "the mind viewed as distinct from the body."

Although Editor Elizabeth Knowles does not say so in so many words in her brief Introduction, the criteria for inclusion is not just having said something pithy and striking or funny and penetrating, or even something at all witty.Instead what really counts is that you are or have been famous for at least fifteen minutes (Andy Warhol).So the way to look at a book like this is to take it as a soundbite history of modern times.

Bottom line: buy this because it really is an interesting way to view the modern era, and besides the quotables from the likes of, e.g., Johnny Rotten ("We're so pretty, oh so pretty, we're vacant") and the Spice Girls ("tell me what you really, really want") are not likely to make the next edition, and because it is what people say, in what context, while being who they are, in reference to some event, that really spells out what it was like to be alive in the twentieth century. ... Read more

Book Description
This impressive collection of remarkable quotations from more than a hundred French writers of the past (including Honoré de Balzac, Simone de Beauvoir, Georges Bernanos, Albert Camus, Jean Cocteau, Colette, Cyrano de Bergerac, Alexandre Dumas, Marguerite Duras, Gustave Flaubert, Anatole France, André Gide, Heloise, Victor Hugo, Molière, Alfred de Musset, Anais Nin, Blaise Pascal, Marcel Proust, Jean Racine, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, George Sand, Jean-Paul Sartre, Madame de Stael, Stendhal, Voltaire, and Simone Weil) is a must for every lover of great literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Fabulous Collection
This book is a unique anthology, a remarkable compilation of quotations from a marvelous collection of writers.I will enjoy reading it again and again for years to come.

Great!
French Writers of the past is a fantastic collection of quotations!For anyone who likes to browse through quotation books, this is a great book to pick up!

Lovely Book!
As an educator, I feel that this is an important book for students and teachers who do NOT speak French, but who should be aware of the richness and diversity of French literature.

Useless
The translations are adequate, but who likely to purchase this book would be satisfied without the original French?For quotations, many of which are epigrammatic, this is essential because the translations are never going to capture or reproducetheir Gallic concision and lucidity.The English is there just to get you in the door, but without the French to savor, what's the point?And if you don't know any French at all, you just read the rectos.And another thing.The single entry Ms. Dingle offers from Descartes is "I think, etc."Most useful.Overall, a much better choice is A Book of French Quotations With English Translations, compiled by Norbert Guterman.It's out of print, but still available very reasonably from used book dealers.It does lack a subject index, which I've always found annoying. ... Read more

Book Description
This giant compendium contains more 8,000 quotations on 264 subjects related to American life. These wise, witty, and history-making words come from 1,400 notable sources from the founding fathers to contemporary figures. Also included are the texts of 17 famous American documents including the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and more. This volume is a rich reference on American history, culture, and values, ideal for browsing and research.

On Justice:
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
–Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Humankind:
Human kind
Cannot bear very much reality
–T.S. Eliot

On Love:
Is there more? More than Love and Death? Then tell me its name!
–Emily Dickinson

On Evil:
It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good.
–Margaret Mead ... Read more

Book Description

The only quotation book that tells the stories behind the quotations has been expanded and updated. Now, readers can find important information other references neglect: the colorful anecdotes and historical incidents that provide the context, background, and wider significance of each famous saying. Did Neil Armstrong revise his famous “giant leap” quotation after he got back from the moon? Did the aeronautical engineer who coined Murphy’s Law (“if anything can go wrong, it will”) actually mean it as a warning about safe design? Here’s the inside story on 5,000 great quotations, from ancient times to the novels of Douglas Adams.


... Read more

Book Description
More than 6,500 quotations that are sure to suit all occasions--spicing up letters, speeches, and everyday conversations--are included in this easy-to-use reference. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great!
This is a great book!I found it my school library and I go in on break just to read through a few pages.

"A word is not the same with one writer as with another...
...One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket." (Charles Peguy, p 479) What a wonderful reference! I have found this book useful for speeches, papers, special occasions, toasts, etc. Organized topically, this book is amazingly easy to use and is filled with great quotes from a wide variety of sources (the Bible, various ethnic proverbs, presidents and other political figures, a range of artists and writers and various entertainers). A great book for anyone who ever speaks or writes in any capacity.

A personal library reference cornerstone
"A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket....Charles Peguy"(pg 479)....................... There are quote books and there are quote books. THIS is quote book you'll mark on every page and return to again and again. It's a feast of ideas that will become one of your favorite reference books. Forget Bartlett's. Here's a reference book you can actually use and enjoy reading at the same time. No wonder its on its third edition. I'm sorry I didn't discover it sooner. ... Read more

Book Description
This little volume is chock-full of fun and intriguing quotes from everyone's favorite scientist: Einstein. Read what he has to say about life, morality, philosophy, art and music, science and mathematics, politics, religion, social issues, war and peace, and himself. His views on life, religion, philosophy, and many other issues are as relevant today as they were when he was living. Including a brief biography of the physicist and an amusing bit of doggerel by Einstein himself, Bite-Size Einstein reveals his brilliant perspective on the human condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Humanity is more important than national citizenship

In this year of intense political contention, based in part on a spiteful opposition to immigrants, it is worth reading these concise but poignant quotes by America's most illustrious immigrant.

"I am a democrat," said Albert Einstein.Today, such use of "democrat" means "small 'd' democrat" to avoid confusion with "big 'D' Democrat" which some accuse of being traitors to America.Such is our new intolerance.

However, consider:

--"The foundation of all human values is morality.

--"The destiny of civilized humanity depends more than ever on the moral forces it is capable of generating.

--"Comfort and happiness have never appeared to me as a goal.I call these ethical bases the ideal of the swineherd."

Comfort and happiness?In an era of global warming, perhaps drivers of SUVs really are modern swineherds with scrubbed faces and clean fingernails.It's not that Einstein is so perfectly correct;but, his comments should cause every intelligent person to re-think.After fleeing a Europe where a master race destined to rule the world was being created by government edict, it's hardly surprising Einstein should write, "The state is made for man, not man for the state."

Despite offering a wide range of provocative and stimulating ideas, he has enough common sense to understand, "As a human being, one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists."

Has anyone come up with a better description of politics?let alone human events?let alone physics?

Einstein's fame is based on questioning the status quo;he did not want change we can believe in, he wanted questions to discover a new reality instead of preserving old bad habits.In contrast to Bible Thumpers (or Physics book thumpers and every other thumper), "The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action."

Such quotes make this book a gem.It encourages one to think (which infuriates politicians to no end).As he once said, which applies to today's "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" just inside the golden door, "Humanity is more important than national citizenship."

Wisdom and Wit
When one thinks of Einstein, wisdom and logic seem to prevail.. This book proves that he has a number of one-liners which will blow your socks off and make you laugh out loud.It will also confirm your suspisions thatsmart people and funny people have a lot in common. ... Read more