Product Description
From Anon to Woody Allen ('Not only is there no God, but try getting a plumber at weekends'), Miss Piggy and Dorothy Parker, to Mae West ('to err is human, but it feels divine'), Morecambe and Wise and P.G. Wodehouse to Homer Simpson and Seinfeld, the last hundred years offer a rich banquet of humour. Even 'Golf' and 'Inflation' have inspired witty remarks, while topics like 'Eating' and 'Drink', 'Politicians' and 'Poets', 'Animals' and 'Americans', 'Sex', 'Drugs' and 'Rock 'n' Roll' have all produced countless gems. Here is the definitive collection, fully updated, organised by theme and offering more laughs per page than any other book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Pretty good quote book
The print is small and the paper is not of the best quality (this is a paperback edition) and the contents are very much like those of the Oxford Dictionalry of Humorous Quotations, indeed, quite often the same ones, but I enjoy reading it and it is not very heavy at all.

Pithy, witty, insightful...
Not the kind of book to read cover-to-cover, but absolutely perfect when you are looking for a pithy quote on any subject...and read a few pages when you need a laugh!

invaluable
Anyone who has to make a speech will make a better one if they have this book.

The best
This is the only book I keep in the toilet. I read it every time I have to sit down and each time I get such a buzz. This is such an amazing cornucopia of brilliant minds (being very, very witty). I rate it up there with any non-fiction reference book out there for reasonably well read people who need a chuckle EVERY time they open it up.

ACONVERSATION PIECE........
Alas!A good reason for you not to buy any of those joke books. Instead, acquire this wonderful recollection of funny phrases actually said or written........ Suggested towitty quotation fans, of course, buta mustfor those that don't possess humor but do have a good memory !!!!! A compilation of hilarious phrases, edited by Fred Metcalf that will not let you down, in any argument or discussion. Good to break the ice, superb to outwit your opponent, it is the perfect tool to keep at bay the drama, in heavier conversations.Talking to the pretentious literati or author, you get to say: "A good writer is not, per se, a good critic. No more than a good drunk is automatically a good bartender..." Ifhereplies: "Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves" then you can say: "I never read a book before reviewing it- it prejudices a man so...." andthen add: "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book. I'll waste no time in reading it..." ... Read more

Product Description
This dictioanry is the first to anatomize the philosophical tradition and to show the thoughts, paradoxes, errors and breakthroughs that underlie human speculation. Organized alphabetically by philosopher, and comprehensively indexed by thought and concept, it enables readers to discover who said what, and what was said by whom. More than three hundred philosophers are represented, from Aristotle to Zeno, among them Aquinas, De Beauvoir, Einstein and Sartre, and the quotations range from short, cryptic phrases to lengthy statements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A MUCH-NEEDED, EXCEPTIONALLY HELPFUL VOLUME
The idea to "compile a dictionary of philosophical quotations" originally came from famed analytic philosopher A.J. Ayer (e.g., Language, Truth and Logic), and he spent several months soliciting contributions from his philosophical colleagues (28 "major contributors" and 24 "other contributors"; weighted in favor of English analytic philosophers, which explains a certain "slant" in the selections, that other reviewers have noted) prior to his death in 1989.His literary executors obtained the services of writer Jane O'Grady to complete the project, and she did a fine job.

The selections are arranged alphabetically by author's last name (or ONLY name, as in "Epicurus"), and generally include all quotations from a single book in sequence, before moving on to another book.Book title, section, page number, and in some cases translator citations are given, so that one can look up the quote for oneself (a notable deficiency in most "Famous Quotes" collections).

This is not a "perfect" collection; some well-known quotations are omitted (e.g., Santayana's quote from Reason in Common Sense: The Life of Reason Volume 1 (v. 1), "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"); some worthy philosophers are virtually omitted (philosopher of science Imre Lakatos is limited to a single quotation), while some "questionable" figures are included (Gurdjieff and Ouspensky get a page each); and one can certainly question the relative amount of space given to some philosophers vis-à-vis others (e.g., Plato gets 11-1/2 pages, while Aristotle gets 7;Nietzsche gets 10 pages, but Kierkegaard only 4; Merleau-Ponty gets 7 pages, while Ryle gets less than 2; Hume and Kant each get about 12 pages).

Such caveats aside, for those of us who ask ourselves, "Now, in which book did Feyerabend say, 'Anything goes'?" or "What is the exact wording of Kant's 'starry heavens above' quote?" you may well find this book indispensable.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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

Product Description
Bartlett's Quotations.  Includeds quotations from: WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT, SAMUEL BUTLER, LORD BYRON, AND MIGUEL DE CERVANTES, to name a few... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Seriously....I have to look through how many pages to find that quote?
When I was a young lad, I liked to read the copy of Bartlets Quotes that my mother gave me.I would search through the various tables of contents for subject or author, and have a ball.I was a bit of a nerd, but so be it.I was still fun at parties!Then I go and buy this for my iPod while I am underway, and what do I find but over 3000 pages without any way of finding a quote based on, well, anything!How do I find inspirational quotes on leadership?I read all 3000+ pages, of course!This is pretty weak and a paltry attempt of Kimblizing a book, since this is one that is driven by it's table of contents!Fix it, and give the updated version with the table to those who bought this for free.

FALSE ADVERTISING
Read the review from WaltC "WaltC from Abq"! He's right! The book you will download from this page to your Kindle is NOT THE BOOK ADVERTISED on this page! BUYER BEWARE! I don't know what edition of Bartlett's this is, but it is obviously not the 17th. This edition contains NO quotations from moderns such as JFK or Reagan

This review refers to the Kindle Edition, ASIN: B00164WDPE only.

Kindle edition is incomplete
This is the sort of book that should be ideal in an electronic format.However, all the useful features of an eBook are missing - it lacks a table of contents, index, even the search function doesn't work. If you saw the $4 price tag and thought "Too good to be true!"...you were right.

bartletts quotations
not only is it impossible to go to actual authors,,,the cursor would not "highlight" the author thereby I have no access to any quotations.Amazon better get their kindle act together,,this is the second book in three days that in this case does not even work.outrageous ,,I am furious

Kindle Buyers: get a sample first - Buyer beware!
This isn't, as it's currently described, the 1488 page, 17th edition, Justin Kaplan edited version of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.I'd be absolutely thrilled if it were, but it's not even close.In it's current form, it's not even worth the $4-ish price tag.

Someone goofed. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the highly acclaimed fifth edition of The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations, this new edition maintains its extensive coverage of literary and historical quotations, and contains completely up-to-date material. A fascinating read and an essential reference tool, it contains over 9,000 quotations from more than 2,500 authors. The dictionary also has appendices with categories such as "Newspaper headlines and Leaders" and "Official advice." This is the most authoritative paperback dictionary of quotations available, with quotations from classic literary and historical sources, as well as from today's influential literary and cultural figures. An easy-to-use keyword index traces quotations and their authors, while the appendix material, including Catchphrases, Film Lines, Official Advice, and Political Slogans, offers further topics of interest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Enjoyable but not comprehensive
This is by and large a very enjoyable work with thousands of interesting quotations. It is a wonderful book for those small minutes in- between when one cannot read anything extensive but nonetheless wishes to keep one's mind focused and learning. One problem with the book is that often the quotations are chopped off parts of quotations well- known in a more extensive form. My other problem is that I do not particularly want to read in a work I am enjoy quotations from certain abominable monsters such as Nazi leaders whose memories should be dust. This of course is not the fault of the editors and the monsters of history often are remembered and quoted when their victims remain silent. I wonder if a book of quotations from the ' virtuous of mankind' is a feasible and interesting project. In any case this work is by and large interesting and entertaining. ... Read more

Product 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 (5)

A great source for qoutes.
I have found this book handy when looking for quotes to insert in my writting.
Quick delivery

My Favorite Quotation Collection
I must admit I find quotation collections pretty irresistable, but of all the ones I know, the Harper Book of Quotations is the best. Absolutely chock-full of the most wonderful things, excellently organized. Don't dare to pick it up if you are in a hurry, because I promise you will browse in its pages happily for a long time. I like to open it at random and just start reading, as I never know what gems I will discover.

An absolutely essential book.

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

Product Description
Based on the highly acclaimed sixth edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, this new edition maintains its extensive coverage of literary and historical quotations, and contains completely up-to-date material from today's influential literary and cultural figures. Over 1900 new quotes have been added for this edition, as well as author descriptions, placing the quotes firmly in context.The dictionary has been complied using the unique process of quote identification by the largest ongoing language research program in the world, the Oxford English Corpus.An easy-to-use keyword index traces quotations and their authors, while the appendix material, including Catchphrases, Film Lines, Official Advice, and Political Slogans, offers further topics of interest.
Complete with vivid illustrations, the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is an essential addition to every designer's and artist's studio shelf.
... Read more

Product Description
A thorough update of the 100,000-copy bestseller, this new edition contains 16,000 quotations and proverbs conveniently indexed by category, key word, and author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Quote Book
This book was advertised 'like new'. I wanted to give it as a gift.
What I got was a smelly old book with very yellow pages. I can't
give it as a gift, I can't even keep it in the house because of its
odor. I just threw it in the recycling bin, I hope they'll take it.

The quotation Bible
As a non-fiction writer, I am enamored with quotes in my work.Although I search the web for quotes, this volume is a handy desktop reference for me to consult when I need that perfect quote without having to stop everything I'm doing.I like it better than some editions of Bartlett's I've used.

Writers tend to buy it after using it once; superb resource.
Since another reviewer described this book so well, suffice it to say that if you frequently use quotes in your writing or research, this will be a gold mine. Highly recommend. However, I've only used the 1970 version - am looking forward to seeing what new quotes await in the updated version.

One of the Best General,Subject-organized Quotation Books
There are two kinds of quotation books-- those organized by alphabetically by subject and those organized by alphabetically or Chronologically by Author.

This is one of the best of the subject organized ones, with loads of subject headings (some Quote books only offer 100 or a few hundred. This one is much better and also offers suggestions for other related headings.) I've found the quality of the quotes to be excellent, with a nice mix of contemporary and classic sources.

As an avid quotation and quotation book collector, with over 400 books, some dating back over 400 years, (as well as a website of 1000-- a small fraction of the quotations I've collected)I have to say that this is one I keep handy, along with about 15 or 20 others. If you are a writer, speaker, teacher, etc., or if you are looking for a gift for someone who loves ideas, then this book is a very worthwhile investment.

One useful way to enjoy this book is to read specific topicsto get an idea how a lot of different people think about that subject. This can often give you a first introduction to a writer you may want to get to know better. Then, you'll want to, perhaps, next look at a quotation book organized by author, or-- go directly to the works of the author. ... Read more

Product Description
Thoroughly revised and updated, the new edition of the classic reference encompasses more than twenty thousand quotations, arranged chronologically and featuring the wit and wisdom of such newcomers as Russell Baker, Mel Brooks, and Salman Rushdie. 75,000 first printing. $150,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Best Literatrary Buy on the Net
Twice the price would have been a bargain!Seller right on the spot with sending this great piece of literature.

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!

Passable but certainly not the best ...
This edition is a bit too trendy (and, especially, too "politically correct" in some respects) and omits many classic quotes featured in previous editions.I shall stay with my 15th edition and actually wish I had kept my 14th and 13th as well.Hopefully, the earlier variations are still available in nice condition at a reasonable price. I intend to do a search for some of those earlier versions and I recommend that other serious "quote book" users do the same.

How Do They Know That?
I always wondered how speakers knew all those quotations.Now I know.They check "Barltett's Quotations."

This book consists of an extensive collection of thousands of familiar quotations from hundreds of sources spanning the history of the world.Biblical books, literary works, historical figures, authors, politicians, religious figures and even the anonymous all contribute to this vast collection.

The collection is assembled by source, listed, more or less, chronologically.The book contains two indices.In the front, the reader finds the Index by Authors.After the quotations, we find a general index of topics.For each listing in the general index, we find the lead word as a heading with the citation for each lead word with the words which follow it in the quotation.

I have found this book to be a valuable resource on many occasions.Just reading through it educates the reader to the source of many sayings with which we are familiar.When I have been searching my brain for the particular phrase, I have often found it in "Bartlett's".When looking for a witty phrase with which to liven a speech, "Bartlett's" often comes in handy.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who needs a source for quotations for speeches, writings, or just to satisfy your own curiosity.

Ne Plus Ultra
"Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making."

--John Milton

If you've a desire to learn, read great massive chunks of wisdom, and experience some of the finest writing known to exist, Bartlett's Quotations is a wonderful place to do it. ... Read more

Product Description
This remarkable collection of quotations is a treasure trove of discerning wisdom, lovely thoughts, and perceptive wit gleaned from the writing of 162 of England’s finest writers of the past.Both entertaining and thought-provoking, this book acquaints the reader with luminaries of English literature, including Jane Austen, Francis Bacon, the Brontës, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Samuel Butler, Lord Byron, Lewis Carroll, G. K. Chesterton, Agatha Christie, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Noël Coward, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, George Eliot, Henry Fielding, E. M. Forster, Graham Greene, Thomas Hardy, Aldous Huxley, Ben Jonson, John Keats, D. H. Lawrence, C. S. Lewis, W. Somerset Maugham, George Meredith, John Milton, George Orwell, William Shakespeare, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Tennyson, William Makepeace Thackeray, Evelyn Waugh, H. G. Wells, and Virginia Woolf. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful!!
Impressive, enjoyable, and educational, Dingle's fine book sits front and center on my crowded reference bookshelf. The quotations are arranged alphabetically, by author, so browsing provides insight into the authors quoted, more so than do quotation books that are organized by theme. I heartily recommend this superb reference and enjoyable read. Also recommended: Memorable Quotations: American Women Writers of the Past.

Great Book!
This book should be required reading in high school and college English classes.As an educator, I was quite impressed by the selection of authors and quotations. ... Read more

Product Description
From the quote aficionado to the historical researcher, fans of Bartlett's will be thrilled to see BARTLETT'S BIBLE QUOTATIONS. Assembled in a new format to delight both researchers and casual readers, BARTLETT'S BIBLE QUOTATIONS is an essential collection of Bible quotes pulled from the prestigious BARTLETT'S FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS. It is both a valuable reference tool and an eminent collection to be browsed through for pleasure. The quotes are organised simply and elegantly, from Genesis to Revelations, and include Psalms, Proverbs, and the Apocrypha. Bartlett's highlights the essential passages of the beloved text (originally from the King James Version), from the educational to the ethical, from stern to stirring, creating a view of the Bible unlike any other. ... Read more

Product Description
This memorable collection of quotations is a treasure trove of insight and wisdom by ninety great philosophers of Western civilization, including Saint Thomas Aquinas, Hannah Arendt, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Sir. Alfred J. Ayer, Francis Bacon, Simone de Beauvoir, Edmund Burke, Albert Camus, Cicero, John Dewey, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Friedrich Engels, Heraclitus, Thomas Hobbes, Eric Hoffer, Immanuel Kant, John Locke, Niccolo Machiavelli, John Stuart Mill, Lewis Mumford, Friedrich Nietzsche, Blaise Pascal, Plato, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Bertrand Russell, George Santayana, Jean-Paul Sartre, Socrates, Benedict Spinoza, Henry David Thoreau, Alexis de Tocqueville, Voltaire, and Alfred North Whitehead. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Does not cite original sources
To publish a book that contains the words of philosophers without giving references and source material is ludicrous. Don't just tell me that someone said something, give me give me chapter and verse. In what book did they write it? Which newspaper quoted it? In which magazine was the interview found? When and where did they deliver the speech? There is an endless supply of books and internet sites that quote famous people incorrectly. The common element in all of them is that they don't give the original sources. Every quotation in this book may be factual, but without citing the original sources, there is no way to know short of doing the research the author should have done with each and every entry.

Unsourced quotes are just gossip.

Wisdom in print
Wisdom is a product of a long years of experience. Quotation is wisdom in print. So what you are now doing is sharing this wisdom to your readers/customers who want to acquire the knowledge but probably are not yet ready to experience it. Quotations are intellectual property --perhaps, they can be shared with others but not sold.

The Book for Smart People
In this age of the dumbing down of everything, it's a delight to read very wise words from the great thinkers Dingle has chosen for her wonderful book.Impressive book!

Important Book!
As a teacher, I believe that this impressive book should be included in all high school and college libraries! ... Read more

Product Description
"Men take more pains to mask than to mend."--Benjamin Franklin. These and other sage words in a collection of the wisest sayings and most profound insights of our history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great gift
This is a treasure of sayings to inspire and provoke thought.Good resource for quotes to use in presentations or talks or just to get a little random inspiration for the day.Great gift for graduates or going away parties.

Nice selection of Quotes
This is a small, easily read book of quotes. There were several inspiring quotes and several famous quotes. Sometimes it seemed as though there were repeats of quotes or they were stuck on a theme.I wish the book was longer and referenced more outstanding speakers/thinkers. OVERALL... I am very satisified. I purchased this book as a resource for students it will fit well in the classroom. ... Read more

Product Description
As Emerson once said, "By necessity, by proclivity--and by delight, we all quote." We quote from the Bible and from Shakespeare, from Churchill and Will Rogers, we quote to amuse our friends, to spice our conversation or our writing, to lend authority to what we say. We even quote without knowing whom we quote, saying "love conquers all" (Virgil, The Aeneid) or "damn with faint praise" (Pope, Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot).

In this revised and expanded edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, you can find (and verify) classic quotes and little known gems--the words of the famous and the notorious, the witty and the wise--in a collection of over 9,000 quotations from more than 2,000 authors. Offering all the authority and accuracy of the acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, the Concise now includes recent quotes of the 1990s, as well as new appendices on Sayings of the Nineties, Slogans, and Popular Misquotations. This is a literary banquet, a feast of the finest excerpts of poets and novelists, essayists and historians. From Homer, Shakespeare, and the Bible to the sound-bites of todays politicians and pop stars, this indispensable guide is unceasingly entertaining for the general reader and a highly practical reference for study or speech-writing.Perhaps the most useful feature of this dictionary is a keyword index, for tracing half-remembered quotations to their authors, or finding quotations on a particular subject.

An ideal reference for any home or office library, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Revised Edition is a constant source of entertainment and inspiration for public speakers, writers, or anyone else who enjoys a sparkling line or a spirited reply. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Genius's Pick
On gulf war, in a speech on 7th Jan 1991, Saddam Hussein reported that he was ready for the `mother of all wars' (Page 176) and so goes on the many a quotes by over 9000 spoken by politicians to pop stars, literature figures to bible! This book is amazing `The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations' - a handy guide to be `Perfectionist' to show wits in a group to quip a quote around on any occasion. This is a good companion with exhaustive entries of quotes with useful alphabetical index and listing with easy search at the back pages of the book. The cover illustration is impressive alongwith back review that says at a glance about the Quotes mentioned from Literature genius like Homer, Shakespeare, Milton, Hugo, political leaders who made history, singers like bob marley, film stars to bible quotes and so on. There are quotes mentioned from letters, speeches, diaries and people we never heard before with literary or other published works quoted. This book sure increase our levels of intelligence and road ahead to be a wee bit of genius in terms of `showing off' to quip a quote in group get-togethers, speeches, etc. A good pick & a sure `GreatChoice Pick'if one is especially fond of Literature & poetry.

A Very Useful Reference
I found this to be a very useful reference as a writer.Especially when trying to find that right quote from a person of authority to illustrate a point in an article or essay.I marvel at the amount of work that must have gone in to compile this text.It is extremely user friendly with a great cross referencing index to help you find any quote you may be seeking.It is also quite enjoyable to just wander through and randomly read the interesting comments, realizations and originations these famous people had to offer about mankind,the world and society around them.A treasure chest of interesting data to say the least.I highly recommend owning a copy. ... Read more

Product Description
Containing more than 5,000 quotations from authors as diverse as Bertolt Brecht, George W. Bush, Homer Simpson, Carl Sagan, William Shatner, and Desmond Tutu, this dictionary is organized alphabetically by author, with generous cross-referencing and keyword and thematic indexes. This new edition features more than 500 new quotations and 187 new authors. Gathered here are literary figures such as Italo Calvino, J. M. Coetzee, and Toni Morrison; politicians ranging from Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to Rudy Giuliani and Bill Clinton; entertainers such as Halle Berry and Jerry Seinfeld; and star athletes such as David Beckham and Serena Williams. The book includes special sections featuring quotations from cartoons, films, political slogans, famous last words, misquotations, newspaper headlines and more. Finally, this edition boasts a new and unique selection process, using the largest ongoing language research program in the world, the Oxford English Corpus, to ensure that all the most popular and widely-used quotations are here. Spanning a century and stretching from the deeply serious to the frivolous and surreal, The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations is a vital part of anyone's reference shelf. ... Read more

Product Description
This newly expanded edition of the acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of Literary Quotations illuminates the world of the writer, from Shakespeare to Stephen King, from the quill to the PC. Covering all aspects of literary life, this edition is now enriched with new themes and memorable quotations from recent favorites such as Jonathan Franzen, J.K. Rowling, and Donna Tartt. Celebrating over 3,000 years of writing, the dictionary's 4,000 quotations are arranged thematically and chronologically by author within each topic. Full keyword and author indexes ensure that a favorite quotation or author can be located quickly. From "Tools of the Trade" to "Writer's Block", from "Fables and Fairy Tales" to "Earning a Living," The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Quotations brings us the wittiest, most profound, most surprising, and most memorable words of the world's greatest writers on all aspects of their lives and work. ... 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

Product 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

used book excellent condition and a good transaction
liked the book and got it agreat price.
words of wisdom over the centuries.

Good for reference but some essential authors and quotes are missing
I like a good quote but this book lacks some of the more brilliant quotes I have read. Goethe's quotes are good but very standard and I have found better quotes by Goethe in other places such as the Stampy Says website and some of the more obscure German sites. Eliphas Levi is not to be found in this book, neither is Steiner.

"Weak people talk and do not act, strong people act and keep silent." (Eliphas Levi, 1870)

Overall, Bartlett's is useful but the most insightful and practical quotes are not in this book, they are elsewhere.

Classic Quote Collection
Bartlett's familiar quotations is a gem in the quote book industry.If you can afford it, this book will give you an enormous collection of quotes that you might never be able to read from start to finish.It is a nice book to have on your office book shelf to grab if you ever are having a bad day and you need some motivation.Tons of older quotes in this one.If that is your thing, you will love it!

Enjoy!

Todd Hagopian
President/CEO
Hagopian Institute
Author of the popular "Quote Junkie" book sereies and the brand new "Idiom Junkie" series

Biased
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations features 37 quotations from Franklin Roosevelt, 28 from John F. Kennedy, and only three from Ronald Reagan.When the book's editor, Justin Kaplan, was told that all three Reagan selections seemed chosen to make Reagan look ridiculous, he replied, "I'm not going to disguise the fact that I despise Ronald Reagan."For a more balanced book of substantive and memorable quotations, try Great Quotations That Shaped the Western World by Carl H. Middleton.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Bought for our then 13 year old daughter. She loves to write & requested this as a gift. She loves it. It has been fun for the entire family to look up quotes. Also helpful for school assignments. Great gift for anyone that enjoys reading or wrtiting. ... Read more

Product Description
The latest in the Positive Quotation series...365 life-affirming quotes to guide you through the year. Each maxim is followed by a few paragraphs that explain the quote's meaning, and that give practical advice for applying its wisdom to your daily life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Best Positive Quote Book Around
This is absolutely the best positive quote book I've come across.Gratefully a friend gave it to me as a gift and I've been using it all year.Some positive quote books can come across as a little too sugary or syrupy and don't make the connection back to real life application.This book however provides great inspirational quotes, a brief narrative and best of all, a thought provoking, affirmation to take forward into our daily living.While I'd recommend this book for everyone, if you follow a New Thought approach to life/spirituality this book will surely resonate with you.Thanks to Linda Picone for using her life to bring us this gem of a book.

Loving and practical
Each page - day - includes a subject title, positive quote, thoughtful snippet - a few or less paragraphs for each quote, and a practical positive affirmation.Well done.

The Daily Book of Positive Quotations
The content of the book is great. The quality of the book's material is very poor. The binding broke on the first book. Amazon quickly replaced, no questions asked. Amazon is great and will use them again. The second book did the same thing. I liked the book so I gave up.

Great Quotations
I love this book so much that I bought a copy for my daughter-in-law.One day, I went through all the quotes and put post-it notes on the ones I might like to refer to later.I think I flagged over half of the book!When you're having a tough day, reading The Daily Book of Positive Quotations for a few minutes really makes things look brighter.

A Great Way to Start or End Your Day!
I purchased this book for myself because I was looking for something to give me daily readings that are inspirational.It is not Bible based in its quotes and sayings, but it can be applied to any religion.It starts out with a quote relevant to the day's topic.Then it summarizes that and then ends with something for a call to action for the reader.

It has reminded me of many things that I already knew, but find myself getting caught up in the busy-ness of the day.It is very inspirational.I have purchased multiple copies to give to my friends and family.You will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description

Applewood Books is pleased to introduce a new series of quotation books which will collect and celebrate the words of great figures from American history. To kick off the series, we begin with three of the Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, who ended slavery and led the country through a civil war. The words of these men, from private journals, correspondence, speeches and public writings, are as inspiring and thought-provoking today as when they were first written. This new series is attractively packaged in trim hardcovers with a three-piece case binding. A classic portrait of the author peers out from the front cover with his signature printed below it in gold foil. Each volume contains about 100 quotations. These beautiful little books arrive just in time for the gift-giving holidays.

Product Description
Here is a major new edition of the most authoritative dictionary of quotations available, bringing you the wit and wisdom of past and present--from the ancient adages of East and West to today's most memorable lines.
This new edition is a paradise of over 20,000 quotations for all occasions, comprehensively indexed by keyword. Whether you lean towards the words of Jane Austen: "Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure," or the advice of Paris Hilton: "Dress cute wherever you go. Life is too short to blend in," the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations provides the ultimate answer to the questions "Who said that?" and "What's been said about this?"Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled dictionary research program and unique language monitoring, this Seventh Edition offers almost a thousand new quotations, from over 500 authors. These include classic quotations from established names for which new evidence of current usage has been found as well as earlier quotations used by well-known literary authors from around the English-speaking world, ranging from the maxim of Confucius for a ruler, "If you desire what is good, the people will be good" (quoted by Thoreau), and the view of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus that "Not things, but opinions about things, trouble men" (Laurence Sterne).
Now featuring a ribbon-marker, enhanced cross-referencing, a new crystal-clear text design, and an expanded introduction, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is an invaluable addition to every home library as well as the working libraries of all professional speakers and writers.Amazon.com Review
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is as impressive,erudite, enjoyable, and educational a tome as you might expect fromOxford. It's the sort of undertaking the press does very well. Thefirst such dictionary, as compiled by Oxford, was published in 1953,and it's been tweaking, modifying, and updating it ever since. Thisnew edition, the fifth, offers well over 20,000 quotations from morethan 3,000 authors. Responding to correspondence from their readers,Oxford has restored some material from past editions, such as theproverbs and nursery-rhymes section. There's a much more inclusiveattention to sacred texts of world religions, and 2,000 quotations arebrand new.

The quotations are arranged alphabetically, by author, so browsingprovides insight into the authors quoted, more so than do compendiumsthat are organize by theme. There is also, however, a full thematicindex, starting with Administration, Age, and America, and running thealphabetical gamut through to War, Weather, and Youth. And that isfollowed by a 283-page comprehensive keyword index. If you needed tofault Oxford with something, it might be the small print, but itcertainly wouldn't be the thoroughness or cross-referenceability.

There's Kingsley Amis on hangovers ("His mouth had been used as alatrine by some small creature of the night, and then as itsmausoleum") and the sexes ("Women are really much nicer than men. Nowonder we like them"). There's Woody Allen on immortality ("I don'twant to achieve immortality through my work--I want to achieve itthrough not dying") and Fred Allen on committees ("A group of men whoindividually can do nothing but as a group decide that nothing can bedone"). Spiro T. Agnew is on record as saying, "If you've seen onecity slum you've seen them all." And Konrad Adenauer weighs in with "Athick skin is a gift from God."

There are pages of special categories, such as one of advertisingslogans ("Let your fingers do the walking," "It's finger-lickinggood," and "Beanz meanz Heinz") and three pages of last words ("Godwill pardon me, it is His trade," from Heinrich Heine; "If this isdying, then I don't think much of it," by Lytton Strachey; and "It'sbeen so long since I've had champagne," by Anton Chekhov). And thereare pages of film lines, misquotations, epitaphs, telegrams, andtoasts, too. Oxford's Dictionary of Quotations is a wonderfullyreliable and inclusive quotation reference, and it's a lot of fun, aswell. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

One of the best books to obtain quotes of our predecessors!
No matter what your occupation, a novel, motivating, approproe, stimulating, catchy, quote, which is short, meaningful, to the point, can be found in this book. Today I find that most writing in whatever forum is boring and the same literary boundries. This book gives you a good quote, the author of it, and you decide when and how to use it! Glad I bought it and would recommend.

It's... Good... Not For Me Though...
There's a plethora of quotes and people, it's an amazing book. It's by author name. My beef with it is...

Some of my favorite people are really slacked on. Most notably American writers, essayists and thinkers. Twain get barely a full page. Melville a few lines (Moby Dick has quite a few more worthy here) Thoreau, Emerson, even Churchill has some of my favorite lines he's said missing... Nietzsche too imo should have pages he has not even one. And more disappointed with.

NOW - there are more speakers here yeah the good thing, still, I expected more.

Now I've gotten the Yale's Book of Quotations. Almost half the quotes here but they have so much more from the names I mentioned above. I don't know maybe my American Bias but I selfishly give this book 3 stars for skimping imo on many of my favorite people.

(Not to say they don't have tons of names won't find other places deservingly and other famous people, notiable English writers... many pages (Blake, Lord Tennyson)Definitely poets are NOT skimped here, you'll find many great ones here that other books won't have.)

So don't get me wrong, it's not bad, and some of my favs DO have lots of quotes here and lines and poems. I just wish it had more, and it has tons n tons! =)

Not my cup of tea
The following comments refer to the second (1955) edition.Let us hope the third edition is substantially improved.

A stuffy, dated, donnish, and relentlessly Anglocentric compilation, reeking of the classics curriculum at Oxford.According to the preface, familiarity is the chief criterion for inclusion.Familiarity to whom, for heaven's sake?Professors of antique languages and literatures?Horace gets seven pages.Emily Dickinson gets two lines, as does Hawthorne.Melville and Conrad get nothing at all."The horror!The horror!"

********** TEN STARS!
Who said what, when and for what reason? If it's been said, written, shouted, exclaimed or moaned in a breathy sigh, you'll find it recorded here. Three-thousand years worth of quotes from everyone who has ever been anyone: generals, saints, writers, actors, politicians, judges, criminals, heroes, the infamous, the dying, the triumphant, the fictional and the mythical. In this magnficent volume you can search either by an individual name and see all listings for that person, or by subject, and see all recorded passages about whatever topic you wish to investigate. Great for public speakers, students, writers, or lovers of wit, excoriation, or profundity, and absolutely deserving of the word "Encyclopedia" in its title.

Good for long quotations from famous works
This book is very different from the other quotation books I've used.It is well organized and indexed, but a large number of quotes are very large indeed.It is perhaps dominated by the Bible, Shakespeare, and a few other well-know authors/books.If you know something is from Shakespeare and you need to know where (which play, act, etc.), this book is for you.If you just collect quotes, as I do, it isn't all that helpful--Bartlett's is better for that purpose.Also, see Lieberman's 3500 quotes book and, especially, Braude's book of speakers' stories (exceptionally good).So, the Oxford book is a 3 or a 5 depending on how you want to use it.So, I gave it a 4.What can you do?As Virgil (as quoted in the book) says: "Trust one who has gone through it."Great reference text, but not a book to read through, IMHO. ... Read more