Quotations Books

It is an odd thing to review a book of quotes. By it's nature such a book is comprised of disembodied fragments from the author's body of writings. Quotes taken out of their original context lose much of their meaning, and impact, yet this is not the case with the work of Archbishop Sheen. This book is chock full of gems, useful for reflection or reference, for prayer or to throw out at your next party. Certainly a useful took for both intellectual and spiritual development.

This book of Archbishop Fulton Sheen's greatest quotes can provide inspiration and wise counsel to any reader of any age.

Many of his books are out of print and subsequently his works and wisdom are less accessible these days. This book saves some of his greatest thoughts, ideas and observations and delivers them in a quotation format.

This book is very readable. One can pick it up for a few moments or keep reading for an hour and not be disappointed with the time spent.

I'd love for it to be produced on an audio edition.

The Catholic Church and America are blessed and fortunate to claim this man as their citizen. May he be remembered for many centuries to come.

Fulton Sheen pray for us.

I have been reading about the founding fathers for some time and decided to get this book because Jefferson is an obsession of mine. The Quotes in this great book range from his thoughts on the governments of the U.S. and France, thoughts on family, contemporaries, food, books, morals and everything in between. The quotes are funny and inspiring. If you have an interest in Jefferson, then this book is for you.

Thomas Jefferson was a man of many facets. Among these were the power of words,
chosen carefully from the English language. He loved and excelled in writing letters,
and this book contains over 500 subjects that he chose to write about. Tho the book is small in size with over 500 pages, it gives one an insight into the enormity of this
President's capacity.

Without knowing it, I ordered this book again. Just another laugh on me. I am a pushover for opera, especially for 'behind the scenes' stories. I used to wait for the Metropolitan Opera on the Air every Saturday afternoon to hear the stars talk about the terribly funny stories of past divas, tenors, etc. This book is a must have, a jewel; but don't read too much at one time. A little goes a long way, believe me. My favorite: Backstage at Lohengrin before his first entrance, [Leo] Slezak was bemused to see the swan-boat take off just before he got into it: a stagehand had jumped the cue. As the boat glided into the opera without its silver knight, Slezak turned to someone and asked, "Wann geht der nachste Schwann?" What time's the next swan?

The sub-title of "Quotable Opera" ("Aria Ready for a Laugh?")provides a strong hint of what to expect in this delightful collection by Stephen & Nancy Tanner. And lest you think it's all just "fluff," you'll be gratified to find a great number of more serious quotes from the cognoscenti of an art that's been called by so many different names over the years. Among the definitions of opera included here are:
"the most dangerous of all art forms"
"the selection of famous voices for fashionable ears"
"the most rococo and degraded of all art forms"
"an exotick, irrational entertainment" (Dr. Samuel Johnson)
and, by H.L. Mencken:
"The opera is to music what a bawdy house is to a cathedral."
The chapters of "Quotable Opera" are arranged according to subject, and,like the entire book, with the authors' unique sense of ironic wit and just plain fun. The chapter dealing with quotes by and about Maria Callas, for instance, has the title, "Is Diva Just Avid Spelled Backward?"
As you might imagine, some of the funniest quotations may be found in the chapter dealing with critics --including some of the snide remarks they have made about artists, along with what has been said, even more snidely, about them. One acerbic gentleman, for instance, referred to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as "a viable alternative to valium." But then someone defined a critic as "a virgin who wants to teach Don Juan how to make love."
And speaking of making love, the chapter on "Sex and Opera" is full of amusing remarks from famous singers commenting on the effects of too much (or too little!) sex on their voices.
The abundance of funny stuff in the book -- and that includes the brilliant illustrations by Umberto Taccola -- is interspersed with generous portions of more serious remarks from famous men and women -- singers, musicians, writers, etc. (Even Mel Brooks is quoted at one point!) -- all giving their knowledgeable opinions about this great art form.
Composers are generously represented in these pages, often to great effect. Hector Berlioz, for instance, referred to Wagner's Tristan und Isolde as "a sort of chromatic moan." And
for anyone who has thrilled to a performance of Giacomo Puccini's music, it is illuminating to read what he requested of his librettist for Turandot, his final opera: "Create for me something that will make the world weep."
When you read "Quotable Opera," you may not find yourself weeping, but you will certainly laugh a lot, and along the way you might even learn something!

I am a quotation junkie. I have over 600 quotation books of all sizes and ages. I'm also publisher of a progressive media site OpEdNews dot com and a quotations website, quotationscentral dot com. So when I say that this quotation book is a real treasure, it's with some authority. There are plenty of quotations books-- maybe hundreds, that cover the broad swathe of being human. There are a few for liberals and progressives. This is probably the best I've seen for people on the political left. Quotation collections have been said to be flowers, or jewels, strung together. The stringer of this collection, Teishan Latner, has taken a very creative, unique approach to organizing the collection. The topics include:
colonialism, Imperialism, Occupation, Empire,
Nationalism
Race, Racism,
Slavery
Indigenous People's strugge
Civilization and Progress
The Matrix-- Technology
Consumer Culture, Materialism, Advertising
Gaia-- the earth, environment, ecology
Animals, animal liberation
Resistance, strugge, rebellion
Ain't No Power like the Power of the People, on political movements, social change work and activism
Leaders
Direct action, Civil Disobedience
and 40 more topics including language, media, spirituality, history, women, class struggle, prison, police...

Consider this a political tool that you can use with your writing, your speaking, your stump speeches, your advocacy efforts, your sales pitches to funding sources...

Or use it for inspiration, to energize you when your mojo is slumping, to pump you up when you are about to embark on a mission or a day of canvassing.

Building an organization and talking to new members, how about Tennessee Williams quote, " The most dangerous word in any human tongue is the word for brother. It's inflammatory."

Or pretend this is 2006 and the Republicans run the congress, the whitehouse and the supreme court, and think of what Eldridge Cleaver said, "When fascism comes to the U.S., it won't be wearing swastikas-- it will be wearing red, white and blue and whistling Yankee Doodle Dandy."

I keep this book handy, on top of my computer.

Calling all conscious artists, song-writers, and organizers: you need a copy of The Quotable Rebel: Political Quotations for Dangerous Times !!! (Common Courage Press, 2005)

In the week or two that I've had this book, edited by the way-too-brilliant-for-his-29-years, Teishan Latner, I've already picked it up five or six times, looking for the right words to help me understand a frustration, for poem inspiration, for drawing inspiration, and for something piercing to tape to my bathroom mirror for a daily bolt of consciousness.

The book is nearly four hundred pages of wisdom, philosophy, humor and hope from politically left radicals and rebels. Latner has obviously done extensive reading and research; his sources are global, throughout history, and ideologically diverse (even in contradiction in some cases). In addition to the usual suspects (Noam Chomsky, Audrey Lorde, Malcolm X, Winona LaDuke, and June Jordan, to name a few), Latner quotes little-known activists and writers, as well as poets, singers, MCs, bumper stickers, proverbs, organization manifestos and court transcripts.

The book is divided into chapters by theme (like History; Political Commitment and Perseverance; Spirituality, Religion, Liberation Theology ; and Truth and Falsehood), allowing one to track down the right words on a given topic.

I was left wishing Latner had written a brief introductory section for each of these chapters, pulling out common themes, giving some context, and illuminating the "rebel" nature of these quotations (particularly in places where one quotation directly contradicts the next...as in the chapter on violence and nonviolence). Such introductions might make this book even more useful to folks without a lot of prior knowledge of the ideas reflected in it.

As is, however, this book is nonetheless brilliant and useful for all those jonesers for quotes, searchers for meaning, pursuers of a better world, and students of rage, love and possibility.

-Mattie Weiss
Coauthor, "How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office"

Julius Caesar, Churchill, Grant and others are among the famous military names quoted in this literary collection, which provides some of the best quotes on the topic of war and soldiers. A fine collection of quotes about soldiering and the military experience makes for a recommended title for general interest audiences.

This book presented in enjoyable fashion a dazzling array of military quotes that include everything from ancient Greek philosophers to Schwarzkopf and modern day military leaders. The sheer number of quotes presentedin the book gave a plethora of intresting views and observations from hundreds of different sources on tons of varying categories. It is this fact that makes this book so valuable to anyone, even if you to simply sit down and scan over the book for a few moments of entertainment.

The quotes we're divided by category, such as "Under Fire" quotes of "Uncommon Valor" quotes, which really helps in seperating them in case you are looking for a quote that profoundly emphasizes a certain emotion of idea dealing with a particular problem or situation.

That all may seem like a lot of rambling, so to sum it up, this a superb, diverse, intriuging, entertaining and valuable collection of military quotes that are in the utmost intrest of anyone who may have been in any country's service or who simply has an intrest in military heritage or the art of war, or is just searching for good, general quotes.

Elaine Partnow's book, "The Quotable Woman," truly is a fantastic compilation of quotes from women throughout the ages and is a monumental piece of work. I am so overwhelmed with the quality of the research and effort devoted to making possible this delightful collection of quotations from women over the past 5,000 years--
Arthur E. Cohen, MD
Keene, NH

This book is not only fun to thumb through (and there's a lot of it to thumb through), it is a terrific resource. The biographical index of 3,750 women alone makes it worth having. I find myself looking stuff up in it all the time--how old is Gloria Steinem? Where was Golda Meir born? What country did Murasaki Shikibu come from? And then, of course, there are the quotations. Thousands of them. A real help in my work as a researcher. Anyone who enjoys a good reference library shouldn't be without a copy of this book.

Both the outstanding and brilliant artwork by international women artists, as well as the inspiring words of women from all walks of life, has made this my favorite gift to women of all ages. To the young, it is the legacy of the best, placing our hope for the future in their hands.
One of my daughters gave this gift to me on Mother's Day and the real gift was that now I know that she truly knows her mother's heart. Thank you all. Maria

This is the most beautiful book I have ever seen; it combines the words of women with colorful paintings that make the words sublime. It involves both hemispheres of the brain in a holistic approach to words and images, and produces many joyful moments.

A co-worker introduced me to this book and I read the quotes throughout the day and was inspired by each and every one of them. I then had the idea that all of my (girl)friends should be just as inspired and have one of their own to carry with them. Small enough to tuck away for whenever you need a little 'inspiration'. All of my friends love theirs.

Quotable Women is great. I have owned a copy for 5 years or so, and I still love to glance through the quotes. There is wisdom and comedy in there for everyone. Trust me, any woman would HAVE to love this mini!

William Gordon did a fabulous job compiling this gem of a collection. This is a "must" for any writer for both inspiration and information. I reach for it often in my struggle to write my second book. I appreciate the varied resources from all kinds of backgrounds (and different ages), but most of all, they are writers who have gone down the same path as I.

Writers love words and Bill Gordon loves writers. Hehascompiledover 170 pages of categorized quotations from more than 600authors. This book is recommended to all writers, not just for yourown enjoyment but as a resource. When it is not on your nightstand, it will be within easy reach of your desk, next to your dictionary.

This book may not be the deciding factor, but there are tons of keys to success in here! Some of the greatest business minds in the world have said some pretty profound things, and this book captures a ton of them. I would recommend that every manager has a copy of this book on their shelf, and another one in their drawer so that they can give the struggling salesperson that works for them a copy. Great motivational, inspirational, and business sayings on every page. It is a great book!

As a businessperson, I always want to read books written by other successful business men and women, but rarely have the time. This book has a ton of awesome quotes by various men and women over the years and it is just what I need when I'm at the office. I keep a copy in my home office and a copy at work so I can draw on it for inspiration. Even when I need a good laugh, I can find one in this book! Every sensible business person should have this book!