Quotations Books

My wife is a text book writer and has found this gift text to be quite valuable. Recommended

Those are the bitter pills of civilization. Like other bitter pills, they have great healing power. As a matter of fact, if the World took more notice of those pearls of wisdom, produced by outstanding minds, from Heraclitus to the Huxleys, policies might be less absurd and mass actions less disastrous than they actually are.

The book is dark verging on sardonic, reflecting the dark, sardonic nature of the best epigrams of our age. I was inspired to respond in the margins to a number of them, and I can't think of a better response to epigrams in general, than for them to get under your prickly skin to the extent that you might write your own ironic counterstatements. Bloodshed begets bloodshed, and so we might say (ironically) that this sort of bitterness begets bitterness. But it may very well be the most brilliant bitterness you've known.

Some of my favorite quotes with my responses--representative in the extreme:

"Where they burn books they will also in the end burn human bodies"--Heine, <>, 1823

"Where they burn human beings, they will also, in the end, burn the wrong book"--Eucaleh Terrapin

"A secret may sometimes be best kept by keeping the secret of its being a secret"--Sir Henry Taylor, <>, 1823

"Thus the wisest proverb is common sense"--Eucaleh Terrapin

"Freedom produces jokes, and jokes produce freedom"--Jean Paul Richter, Introduction to Aesthetics, 1823

"But to be witty is to be serious about other comedians"--Eucaleh Terrapin

John Gross has compliled an excellent collection of the best aphorisms into a nicely accessible framework. The book is arranged by chapters reflecting everything from "Nature" to "The Afterlife." This arrangement works well as a path to pursue the great thoughts that philosophers, psychologists, and aphorists have written about the areas that most commonly provoke interest. The book has an outstanding index and an insightful introduction from Gross in which he expresses his regret about not having beem able to obtain permission to include the observations of Wittgenstein. As Vauvenargues wrote in 1746, "Men's maxims reveal their characters," and one of the great values in this collection is that it juxtaposes what others have said by subject area, juxtaposing what the famous thinkers here included remarked on the same subjects. The cover of this volume displays an explosive rocket, appropriately enough. The anti-religious elements are especially entertaining, as it is always fun to see the response to the groveling aspects of Christian orthodoxy. Highly recommended.

Like most collections of aphorisms this one is rich in helpful thoughts. These thoughts inspire and give birth to new thoughts. 1) Aphorisms of others ideally inspire aphorisms of our own.
2) Aphorisms help make our minds more interesting.
3) It is senseless to read too many aphorisms at once
4) A little here a little there, aphoristic pleasure everywhere.
5) A good aphorism is one you want to tell someone else.

I liked the quotes, but wished there were more. Someone out there, please put together a large book of quotes.

This is a great book if you are writing history papers. The quotes are the best ever. Many of the quotes are thought provoking. I found this book and another book of quotes to be the best.

The best nuggets of wisdom are short and have an obvious point. Some add in the additional quality of being humorous and others historical relevance. All forms of such wisdom are regularly found in the "Quotable Quotes" feature of Reader's Digest. This book is a collection of those quotes organized according to topic. Some of the topics are:

*) If you can't make a mistake . . .
*) He who hesitates . . .
*) Be bold in what you stand for ...
*) Manners are the happy way . . .
*) The difference between a hero and a coward ...

And they are all leaders into significant messages. There are few books where random reading is always enjoyable, this is one of them.

This book is everything I hoped it would be... The service was fast and the item arrived in great condition. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

This modest-sized book contains thousands of quotes. It is well indexed. The quotes vary from subjects as diverse as cats, religion, self-esteem, marriage, happiness, children, humor, the American Dream, finance, injustice, personal problems, politics, expert opinions, the natural world, and much more.

Three of my favorite quotes are: "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors" (p. 166); "Freedom is the oxygen of the soul" (p. 189); and "No one ever paid the price of a book--only the price of printing it." (p. 138). The latter quote is a good one to apply to this book of quotes!

This is a great little book. After receiving it as a gift, I went out and bought a ton to give to all of my friends with kids, (including the mailman cause we always talk about our kids to each other). Makes a great gift for someone who loves kids. Nice cheap Christmas gift.

Some of these remarks are so pithy they have made it into our everyday speech. "Sometimes your best move is blocked by your own checkers," is one. "If you don't like the birthday girl, don't go to the party" is another. This book makes a nice small gift, too.

This is a great little book to give new moms, teachers, social workers, and anyone who loves children. It will bring smile after smile!

I gave this book to my entire business unit. I think most books on business, how to make a company better, etc. make things too complicated. If you really read each point in this book, it just applies to everything we do in both our personal and business lives. It's how I want my co-workers to behave and treat others. Take for example, the first one- "Jump right in or you might change your mind about swimming." In other words- Sometimes don't anaylze too much, just do it. Or "Ask why until you understand"- In other words, if you don't understand, keep talking until everyone does.....etc.. A GREAT BOOK!

So CUTE!! I felt like I was sitting in a school yard listening in on children talking!! Made me fell young again... lol.

I happen to know that Terry Tillman was there before the Wall fell down and was a contributor to the peace process that undermined it and all the other "walls" that divide humanity.

This book is both a record of suffering and joy and a metaphor to inspire all of us in de-walling!

I kept this book in my living room for the last 3 years. This book is one of the things that connects me to the power of humanity, the natural order of the Universe and freedom.

This is my favorite Cold War book--Simple, powerful, great photos surrounded by great quotes from great people and the personal observations of a guy who was clearly moved by seeing the Wall come down.

The book The Writings on the Wall" by Terry Tillman was purchased in multiple quantity, and given to co-workers and friends. All enjoyed the "story" being told, AND shared by the writer. I highly recommend it.

I found this to be an absolutely beautiful book. The photographs are amazing and truley moving.

Book is outstanding. A real weapon in the empowerment of my walk with God and encouragement of others.

Excellent resource for spiritual help. This book addresses everyday challenges and problems faced by Christians. It's an easy to use source for prayer suggestions and accountability for ones actions.

I use this book everyday...it is so easy to find that exact scripture you are looking for. The intro of the book says for teens, but THIS BOOK is for everyone! I HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone.

This book is set up in categories that teens deal with and then for each category it lists verses that correspond with that category. Unlike a lot of scripture by subject book that list adult topics, this one has topics like peer pressure, drug use, abortion, alcohol, appearance, astrology, beauty, cults, dating, depression, fear, gossip, homosexuality, love, lust, porn and many others...topics that teens really do seek answers to. The really great thing about this book is that Ive found that there have been times when my concordance didnt produce results about a particular subject but this little book did. Another great thing about this book is that it makes a great reference for those times when we actually have to have a sit down face to face talk with a youth about somehting thats big in their life and this gives us fast facts without scaring our youth with a big fat bible. Ive found that youth will pick up this little reference book and find what they need but the task of finding quick answers int he bible is often to tough so they give up. Sometimes all they need is one scripture to cling to but if it means reading chapter after chapter to find it, they wont bother. Naturally, it has a lot of other great topics too, but I just listed a few of the obvious ones---but seriously, it is a must have.

I discovered this book from my Sunday School teacher several years ago, and I have loved it ever since! I literally cannot keep myself a copy because I enjoy giving it away to everyone. It is an excellent tool for finding appropriate verses about nearly every topic from abortion to dancing. I couldn't imagine planning for a lesson without this book! I truly feel that everyone would be more than pleased with this selection. God bless!

Super duper!! The quotes are outstanding: well-chosen & thought-provoking. The questions really do help my students get the ball rolling . . . to have compelling conversations of their own. Truly one of the most useful resources I have ever come across. Now, if I could only get my administrator to pony up for a set of 25 copies!

anyone can run out of ideas when teaching students from a non-English background... this will help you get right back in to reach out where you were loosing touch..

In my experience, adult learners tend to be wary of spending any more of their precious time on grammar lessons. Instead they want a chance to use what they already know to express themselves, and to learn more about other cultures. "Compelling Conversations: Questions & Quotations on Timeless Topics" provides just such opportunities, in an engaging and teacher-friendly format. The 45 chapters are arranged by topic to address universally relevant themes such as "Your Life" and "Modern Times". Each chapter takes a semi-structured approach by providing open-ended questions, targeted vocabulary, proverbs, and quotations. There are no rigid lesson plans here, only springboards to lively personal and inter-cultural exchange. From my own background in classrooms on three continents I can say that this rich collection of material would be an ideal addition to the toolkit of any teacher still inspired by the notion of free speech.

Compelling Conversations is an effective tool for teaching conversational English to ESL students. However, it's combination of topic prompts to promote conversation and intriquing quotations to inspire thought make it a great tool for any composition instructor.

Having trouble coming up with a good prompt for your college comp. class free-write assignment? Compelling Conversations will provide you with seemingly endless choices.

I strongly recommend this book for any instructor interested in promoting conversation in and out of the classroom, and for any student interested in improving their English language conversational skills.

I first tried this fantastic textbook with a high intermediate student that I tutor. I was amazed from the start at how naturally the conversation flowed. We were only halfway through the first set of questions when she decided to buy her own copy. Each of the 45 chapters includes a vocabulary section and list of around 12 to 15 classic quotations, along with between thirty and forty questions. The chapters can be used in any order, but I recommend starting with chapter one as it orients the students to the textbook and shows them how to get the most out of subsequent chapters. Either in the classroom or one on one, it's accessible to intermediate students and challenges advanced students. The quotations, from Socrates to Shaw and from Picasso to Pete Rose, are all identified by name, when they lived, and what they did. This book is truly a treasure.

This survey of the literature surrounding birdwatching gathers together some of the most intriguing writings under one cover, exploring the literary side of the observations of Muir, Audubon, and others. These take the form of paragraphs of information which explore sightings and bird ecology.

At last we see the aesthetic side of birdwatching presented with a sensitivity so often lacking in nature writing. Whereas many birding volumes revert to more and more pedantic description, this is a work which, as its title suggests, invites us to experience a little of the ecstacy of flight itself. We study birds because we are inspired by them, but too many birding books concentrate on the study and not the inspiration. In this work the writings of a wide variety of knowledgeable writers--both well-known and obscure--present in often touching prose their first-hand observations of and experiences with a passtime they love. The careful organization makes this a useful reference work, akin to Bartlett's, for those in search of just the right inspirational quote. These are transcendent moments which otherwise might be lost in mouldering libraries, and I have been personally touched by many of the seemingly inconsequential but thoroughly delightful scenes recorded here. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to lift themselves or their friends above what can often be the drudgery of daily life, who would like to remember that birds fly, they are beautiful, and there is something magnificent in that.

The "romantic" birder will enjoy the many written excerpts that Hill includes in her book. The "analytical" birder may prefer something more prosaic. Not sure if you are a romantic birder or an analytical birder?...Read ths book and find out.

This book is awesome. I read it while jammin' on the crete at the Ithaca board park. Love it man. No school, birds rule!

This book offers a wonderful look at the historical roots of bird watching. How refreshing to read truly emotional responses to the experience of learning about birds through observation. The wonderful blend of writings underscores the universality and agelessness of the sport.

This book is perfect for short reads -- great to pick up for a moment, either to refresh oneself or to share with a friend. It is a perfect gift for any bird lover -- I have purchased 6 copies to date!

I found a story, quote, or fact to inspire me for every occasion in this wonderfully empowering book, which would be the perfect gift for any female at any age. I found it helpful for setting goals and kicking the occasional case of the blues. For a while, I read a snippet every morning upon awakening--it certainly gave me a "can do" attitude! Hmm . . .I should go back to that habit.

I absolutely, whole-heartedly recommend this book--one of my very favorites!

. . .A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping- stone to greatness," says Oprah Winfrey. That quote alone has me hooked to this book; and it's only one of the many phenomenal others in this great page turner. Page after page of the book is filled with inspiration and great words to live by and selections from the coolest females around.

I would recommend this book for any age. From the first to the last page, the lessons shared are a great addition to helping girls figure out how to strive for greatness no matter who they are or how they see themselves. If you decide to read this great book, you might want to also try one of the other four in the collection for fun. The other titles are: The Girls' Book of Wisdom, The Girls' Book of Love, The Girls' Book of Friendship, and The Girls' Guide to Life. So get over to your local bookstore, library, or online to get your copy!

I got lost in this book! Very inspiring!

This book signifies every success story that serves as an inspiration to all teenagers. It helps adolescents battle their fears and finally guides them on the road to confidence. By listing stories and providing quotes about success, teens who read the book, can identify themselves with the people they read about and aspire to become like them. It is a success in itself!

A superb book, indeed!

(...)

Delicious, delightful, delectable!

"J.G. Ballard scans the suicide-code of a chemical=anthropoid into the abolition world, as if the drug fetus's modem=heart of the corpse mechanism is aspirated acid." - Kenji Siratori, author of Blood Electric

J.G. Ballard's "Quotes" is one of my favorite books. How does Ballard do it? He offers the starkest insights about Western culture and the psychopathology of the human race, and yet the book is fun, exciting, and totally addictive. The editors have combed all of Ballards books for interesting excerpts, and they have arranged them conveniently into chapters. There is a chapter on Writers and Writing, a chapter on 9/11, a chapter on Beaches, a chapter on William S. Burroughs--it goes on and on. Yes, sometimes there are redundancies, but that did not bother me. In fact, it is interesting to see how Ballard takes an insight or prediction and retools it slightly over time. One of my favorite of his predictions is that in the future, science and pornography will intersect. That may seem obvious to some people now, but Ballard made this prediction in the early 1970's. Another thing this book is good for: getting titles to other interesting books. Ballard reads widely, and he recommends books throughout this volume; some are books I had never heard of. "The Black Box", for instance, contains the transcripts of dialogue between pilots and air-traffic controllers for flights that eventually crashed. Ballard cites one of his favoite books: "The Los Angeles Yellow Pages". He considers this directory a surrealist work. Likewise, the chapter on film is good for some titles: after reading Ballard I returned to "The Road Warrior" and "The Hitcher" (two of my childhood favorites) and saw them in a new, Ballardian light. If you like this one, I would also recommend the book of Conversations with Ballard and "A User's Guide to the Millenium". Of course, "Crash" is not to be missed...

"jg ballards: quotes" is a book of maxims, aphorisms, statements, and glibly profound comments from the mouth and pen of the perspicacious jg ballard.
if you are at all interested in the theories of a modern thinker without all the impenetrablenous of postmodern theorists from academia, then check this tome out.
the chapters on 'PSYCOPATHY' and 'THE SUBURBS' alone are very salient indeed, soaring through the time and mind barriers of our age looking with hindsight at the strange possibilities that time and mind present to us now.
ballard transposes the psychical landscape onto the physical one using freudian theories of the libido and the unconscious to evoke a surreal landscape at once familiar and yet alienating.
these are the themes ballard tackles and talks about in his own inimitable and exciting manner. always fascinating.
i recommend this book to anyone interested in a worthwhile compass to the imaginative world around us right now.

RE/Search has compiled the best blips and ramblings from Ballard's extensive body of work, illuminating the uninitiated and re-affirming to the already converted that Ballard is one of the sharpest commentators on the modern world. The book itself is compact and formated for easy digestion during commuting hours or periods in limbo, and each quote is a gem. This book will definitely keep you intrigued and sane on your otherwise dismal journey through the day to day.

In J.G. Ballard Quotes, author Ballard and Quotes editor V. Vale continue a relationship which stretches back twenty years. Along with being the finest writer of our time, Ballard is a keen social observer, as well as a thinker of unique and visionary perspective:

"Does the future still have a future?"

"The open coffins lay empty, ready to catch the American pilots who would soon fall from the air."

"Everyone says there is too much violence on television but secretly they want more."

"Will NASA one day evolve into a religious organization?"

"A perverse sexual act can liberate the visionary in even the dullest soul."

As one can see, Ballard is interested in the tropes of our time. Reading Quotes, one can't help but marvel at his wonderful ability to seamlessly extemporize on virtually any subject. And along with thousands of great JGB quotes, the book is illuminated by surreal techniscapes from photographers Ana Barrado and Mike Ryan.

If you're a JGB fan, or just need an interesting book for your coffee table, Quotes will be a good choice for you.

I have given approximately 50 of these books as gifts during the last 25 years. Everyone has expressed gratitude and reported that it had become one of their favorite books also. I am so excited that they are available again after not being able to purchase them for many years!

Sal Salyers

Touches your heatbeat,freshens your outlook on Life. This book is a friend by your side 24/7

I love the stories behind the inspirational poems in this book! For example, learning the story of William Ernest Henley author of the poem "Invictus" makes the poem so much more poignant. The author includes poems addressing courage, happiness, faith, confidence, fear, self-discipline, family, peace of mind and the future. This is a keeper and a wonderful gift.

This book has helped me during dark days and helped my mother face the challenges of Parkinson's.

I give this as a gift to anyone I think will be helped by spiritual positive messages found here.

on the bedside tables of every person. When I first read it, I was feeling pretty down but found my spirits lifting with every turn of a page. Especially helpful are the chapters about Harold Russell who lost the use of his hands, but gained in strength and fortitude and Mary Pickford who writes so well about the possibilities of beginning again after failure and setback. I could go on giving example after example of the wonderful inspiration that awaits anyone who reads this book. It's the type of book you can read just a few pages from and get just what you need. You can't go wrong buying this book.