Quotations Books

Bad Predictions definitely has something for everyone. Even a person who doesn't enjoy books won't be able to put this one down after the first glance. It's divided into sections so everyone can flip to their favorite field first. Such as Society, Fashion, Transportation, Technology etc.

I found it not only fun and entertaining, but an educating and even humbling experience. While some of the bad predictions, are humorous, some such as "you'll never need more than 640k" make you realize how much things can change even in a few years. What's considered impossible today can be second nature tomorrow.

I think I enjoyed predictions from the early 1900's the best. But, I predict everyone will have their own set of favorites. Like Laura's other book, "The Names Familiar", "Bad Predictions" is a perfect ice breaker and conversation maker. It's a great coffee table book, and it's easy to read. Congratulations to Laura Lee for another great winner!

As an educator, I love having stories to share about those who thought they knew what they were talking about and didn't. Too often we take what others' say too seriously and here are wonderful examples of what people said that weren't so insigtful. The book is a delightful read full of lots of laughs as well as moments of deep contemplation as things hit a little too close to home. Thanks to Ms. Lee for another great book.

Baseball fans love statistics. They are part and parcel of the lore and the talk of the game. This book is built around an interesting idea, giving a page a short essay to ' firsts'. The first player to hit four- hundred, or the first player to win thirty- games in a season etc. There is a lot of baseball lore in this book much of which will be new even to the most dedicated of baseball funs.
This is a book for baseball fans only but I am sure they will enjoy it.

Think you know everthing there is to know about baseball? You'll be surprised by the factoids uncovered. A must have reference guide for all baseball enthusists.

This book represents a concept from the future as well as the past. I understand Be Be wrote The "Be" Attitudes from her understanding of the Catholic's version of the Sermon on the Mount commonly known as The Beatitudes. A wonderful twist on a religious idea. She takes this concept and makes it apply to men, women and children alike. I'm sure the Lord would commend her for her insight and usage of this "Be" Attitude Concept. I wish more people would read this book. It would make the world a much better and fun to be place. I understand she also has a poster using this same concept? I can't wait to get a copy.

I love this little book....anytime I am feeling low or stressed or frustrated, I just grab it and read a few of the inspirational sayings and presto! I'm good to go!

What I like about The Best Advice Ever for Teachers is that there is lots and lots of new material in it. The authors weren't satisfied in giving us the best "old" advice. They took the time to do interviews with many of today's most respected teachers and administrators, which added historical perspective and freshness to the book. The book truly lives up to its title: The Best Advice Ever for Teachers.

Chuck McGuire has compiled pithy bits of sage advice that teachers would do well to heed. The book is fun to read for teachers and everyone whose had a teacher. Teachers from the present day, and the past, offer great insight- not only into the under-appreciated profession of teaching, but into the very kernel of learning itself. We all remember our great teachers. And this book could help you become one, or recognize one. A must book for gift-giving. Good job McGuire!

This book has been on my shelf for years, and i refer to it consistintly. I use it for reference, to teach others the success this book portrays. Great job! M.Singo

I saw this book in a remote store 2 years ago and have been searching for it ever since. I collect quotations and have found no other book to be comparable to this one.

Author Richard A. Moran, Ph.D.,is the National Director of Organization Change for Price Waterhouse. His biography in this book says "He has worked in all types of organizations worldwide, from Apple Computer to Zurich Insurance. Moran helps organizations implement their strategies by keeping management focused and by getting lots of help from employees. He is the author of NEVER CONFUSE A MEMO WITH REALITY. In addition he is co-author of the 1993 landmark studey, POSTCARDS FROM EMPLOYEES, which captured the perceptions of over 50,000 employees regarding their organizations and management as well as customer service and other work-related areas."

The author says his "continuing source of material are those thousands of employees, at all levels of all organizations, who tell me the truth and make me aware of what a struggle it can be to thrive in today's complex organizations."

The author describes this second collection of business related aphorisms as "a book of business bread and butter." He says he has continued his attempt, begun in his first book NEVER CONFUSE A MEMO WITH REALITY "to capture the conventional wisdom that people in business should know--but either ignore or never learned in the first place." He sees several advantage to his writing style:

"First, it represents what many people know is the truth about life in today's organizations. Second, it is accessible: It features no complex models or theories that make anyone feel guilty or inadequate for not understanding. Third the lessons from the book apply. No matter what their level, industry, or position, people understand. Fourth, there is humor in the book that makes people chuckle about their own situations. And, lastly, the price is right."

As in his first book, the advice offered is simply expressed and sometimes overgeneralized. But inevitably, what is familiar for one person will be a new insight for another. Once again, the author presents a checklist. A reader may wish to reject any individual item on it as in appropriate for his or her particular situation, but it is a valuable guide to both self-appraisal and organizational appraisal.

There are 371 aphorisms or collections of aphorisms in this book. From my experience of more than 40 years in the workforce, the 40 most valueable are as follows:

#1. Always tell the truth to employees and your boss. It's easier to remember what you said.

#3. "Just because you're a supervisor doesn't mean you have a license to be a jerk."

#7. "Beware those who ask for feedback. They are really asking for validation.

#20. "Be more results-driven than methodology driven."

#23. "Trust your instincts. There is a reason why people value your experience. You should as well."

#29. "In your written work, say something meaningful in the first sentence."

#31. "Too much resistance to a new system or change probably means there's something wrong with it. Employees will usually act in the organization's best interest. Listen to them."

#43. "Doing a great job often means you'll get more work. Understand this and use it to your advantage."

#57. "Work gravitates to the most competent."

#71. "Never confuse making people happy with what needs to be done."

#86. "Hope is a required ingredient for success."

#95. "Progress is made when the choices that are presented are limited and clearly defined...."

#120. "When the outcome of a meeting is to have another meeting, it has been a lousy meeting."

#124. "Start with a rough draft as soon as possible and fill in the details as you go. You'll find the end product will be similar to the original intention."

#125. "To what end? is always a good question to asky at the beginning of a big project."

#130. "Never give up on projects until they are implemented."

#140. "The goal is not to be busy. The goal is to contribute something of worth that will make you glow."

#154. "Worry about the big things, and the little things will fall into place."

#181. "There are no such things as communicationns, turnover, or morale problems. They are symptoms of other problems--usually autocratic managemetn. Don't try to fix the symptoms. Fix the problems."

#183. "Never be embarrassed about where you grew up, where you went to school, how you look, your name, or anything else that it's too late to fix. Be proud of who you are."

#192. "Next steps from meetings must always be clear."

#201. "Casey Stengel said some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, and some people say what happened. Be in the first category."

#213. "Learn what the labor movement is all about, how it's changing, and what it means to your industry. Be unbiased as you learn."

#214. "Spend time understanding what "real work" is. like working on an assembly line or driving trucks. It will ground you in reality."

#233. The most effective suggestion system is the one where the CEO puts a sign over his or her door that says "Suggestion Box."

#243. "Organization change will not occur unless employees believe it is in their best interest."

#250. "When giving a talk, think of what people will remember. And that's only one or two things."

#261. "Pessimistic futurists are to be ignored."

#277. "Understand the concept before spending lots of time on the mechanics and the details."

#281. An abundance of worker's compensation issues either means people are getting hurt or people don';t want to go back--or both.

#283. "'Career path' implies a well-worn route. The truth is that you make your own way running around the organizational bushes and brambles."

#296. "Listen to field people."

#297. "Technology eventually evens out. Compete on service and talented people."

#318. "'Find a passion and follow it' is all the career advice you'll ever need."

#322. "Ask yourself, 'What can I be an expert in?' and become one."

#327. "Bite off more than you can chew and chew it well."

#331. "Facilitate or lead meetings with a point of veiw about what needs to be done and how we get there. Be open to changing your mind."

#367. "Convert training into experience as soon as possible."

This is an excellent book for someone new to working in or with a business organization of any size. It is also an excellent book for mid-career people looking for a checklist on how they are doing, and a general guide both to doing things better and doing better things. Finally, it is an excellent books for those suffering from burnout, lack of focus, or overwork.

The common-sense advice in this Life's-Little-Instruction-Book spinoff is useful; it doesn't hurt to keep a copy at your office and thumb through it for a few seconds every morning, just to help you focus. The showcase saying, "Beware those who ask for feedback. They are really asking for validation." is eminently correct. You NEVER tell a corporate boss the truth, if the truth reflects poorly upon that boss. To do so is to paint a bull's eye on your forehead, and ensure you will be targeted with some unpleasant consequence in the future. This is the voice of experience. I am now a sycophantic fawning toady lickspittle apple-polishing lapdog yes-man at the office, and I have not gotten into trouble for several years. Being wary of those who ask for feedback has served me well indeed.

MacArthur, Piper, Evans......tops. All of them. Great teaching, sound theology, rays of hope and comfort shine through each chapter.

I have a hard time thinking of all the bad things that happen and how hard life is for me right now, and this book helps me to look "Beyond Today". I have this book earmarked throughout and turn to it when I need some helpful thoughts and scriptures.

This book is very helpful to those who need something to inspire them for the long road ahead. I found this book at the right time, just when I needed it most. It is very beautifully written and the pages are illustrated wonderfully, too.

This calendar has something interesting each day. And not the passages in the Bible that we hear over and over again, but also lesser known passages and Proverbs. It is a good way to include a little bit of religion in your daily routine, even on those days when you are super-busy!

For several years I have been getting these Bible verse calendars for gifts, for my kids, for friends, preachers, parents. It's the perfect gift for anyone, and something they will use every day of the year. My Dad asks for refills: )

Two things I really like about this neat book. First, it is divided into alphabetical topics (like friendship, money, success, worry, etc) and also a section about special occasions (like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries). Second, it uses the wonderful old King James Version but updates it just enough to make it user-friendly. No more "thou" and "thee" and "goeth" and all that, but definitely retains that kind of poetic flavor that the King James has (and most modern versions definitely DON'T have that flavor). I got this as a gift for a friend who does a lot of writing and speaking, and he liked it so much I ended up borrowing it a lot, so he finally dropped me the hint that I could buy my own... Again, it really does live up to its title, since you can find lots of great quotations here for practically any time in life, good or bad.

I got this very nifty reference book for Father's Day so I've taken my sweet time getting around to reviewing it. As someone who does a fair amount of public speaking I can say this is very user-friendly, because it organizes all the great quotations of the Bible according to topic, from 'Abuse' to 'Worry.' There is also a very helpful index, so basically it is very easy to browse for topics in this book. Besides just organizing the various quotations, each topical chapter contains a brief introduction that helps the reader understand the basic message of what the Bible says about that particular topics. The book is set in very readable type with adequate spacing between the quotations, so it is a very usable gift for anyone, including seniors. I think it is neat just to browse through this, but I also think it would be helpful to preachers, public speakers, writers, etc. Incidentally, it uses the old King James Version but (pleasant surprise) modernizes some of the more difficult words of that old version, so it manages to be both readable and traditional.

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."

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 that smart people and funny people have a lot in common.