Poetry Books

ILLUMINATIONS is truly a MUST. This book is perfect for those of us who are looking for beauty, understanding, and spiritual richness in life. It is filled with magnificent art work, photographs, drawings and the myriad of various texts just left me astounded. I have given this book to a dozen friends and have received nothing but kudos for doing so! I have referred to ILLUMINATIONS several times during the past year and inevitably receive the inspiration therein.

A book to slowly taste--word by word. Bask in glorious graphics; savor the thick paper; turn only a page a day to make it last!

I gave this book to all my good friends for Christmas. Every one of them, and they are an eclectic group, loves it. This is a book to be savoured like a fine wine. Each time you pick it up, you discover something new and wonderful. I find a favorite poem or photograph or essay or quotation every time I look at it. There are so many jewels here, so much accumulated talent. The editiors, Jennifer McMahon and Mark Tompkins, have truly given all of us who are lucky enough to encounter this book a gift to be treasured for many years. If you haven't been lucky enough to have been given this book, buy one for yourself today. You will love it!

This book is a real treasure. It's a wonderful compilation of art and personal stories from people who are looking for greater spiritual meaning in their lives. Rather than preaching, it has people share their experiences from around the globe about their spiritual journey. It reminded me how alike we all are and validated some of my own inner reflections. I highly recommend this book.

I was delighted and fortunate to discover "Illuminations" through the publication
of one of my poems. It is a gem of a collection, encompassing all faiths and beliefs,
very spiritual and uplifting, filled with beautiful and inspiring pictures, a work of art
in itself. It is at the same time meditation, essay, poetry, and will even spur
your creativity. I was blessed to be part of it and recommend it as an opportunity
for communion with the self.
Helene Cardona, author of The Astonished Universe

Now I know that in a blues song when they sing about the back door, they are not speaking in sexual terms, they are referring to a cheating man making a quick exit out of the back door when the husband comes home! The book is very entertaining and informative!

If you enjoy the blues then this is the book for you. This book gives you the meaning of every blues phrase ever used in a song. This will give you an understanding of blues music like never before. Absolutely fabulous.

Just like the Blues, "The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu" by Debra DeSalvo, is the nitty gritty real deal with stories and definitions from Blues masters, not from non-musician researchers who think they're the authorities. This book is informative and fun rather than dry and scholarly. You will not be disappointed if you buy it.

It's this type of work that will make sure the Blues and Blues history lives on!

Every reader will pick up something new about lyrics, terms and phrases, noted cities and neighborhoods, instruments, performers, lore, and other aspects of this always popular and colorful style of music. With occasional material from interviews with top names in blues and closely-related types of popular music in entries as long as essays of three or so pages to as short as a couple of lines, DeSalvo relates origins of words and phrases, gives examples when relevant, describes nuances in different styles, locates the origins and outlines the course of different traditions, explains details of instruments and techniques of playing them, and draws profiles of significant singers and instrumentalists. And she includes considerable colorful lore and terminology unknown to only the most knowledgeable aficionados which can only add to enjoyment of the blues with more casual fans. A lively, informative, eminently readable companion to blues music in all its history and manifestations.

This is self-described as an anecdotal dictionary of the blues, but it suffers some serious flaws and while there is some useful information, it is far from authoritative or comprehensive and while it has some usefulness, it can be improved in so many ways. There are some 150 words and phrases which Ms. DeSalvo, former Blues Revue editor, focuses on, in a volume that emphasizes the African roots of the blues, but at times does not focus on other meanings the terms have. One review in Blues & Rhythm notes the focus on sex and hoodoo, but oddly enough very little on traveling which is a significant theme of the blues.

Much is made of the fact she interviewed a number of blues performers and included the material with various entries. However much if not most of the interview material is irrelevant to understanding the language of the blues, or the entry. For example she briefly discusses crossroads focusing on the African conception which leads to a discussion of the Robert Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroad myth and notes that some believe it. Then she included a discussion of Robert Lockwood, Johnson's stepson which bears very little relationship to the discussion of the term. This would have been better included in a sidebar about Johnson and Lockwood. It would have also been instructive to include lyrics of several songs for specific terms to show contrasting meanings. As an example, Elmore James' 'Standing at the Crossroads,' clearly does not have the connotation that some impute to Johnson.

Also some of her sources are not exactly scholarly. In an entry on the Delta, she discussed Charlie Patton working for Will Dockery. She provides as her reference correspondence with Stephen Lavere. There are lengthy published biographies on Patton by John Fahey, and Stephen Calt and Gayle Dean Wardlow that should have been cited. There is no excuse to not citing these sources while citing private correspondence. Then there is this statement "In '34 Blues', Patton nails the desperation and anxiety of unemployment, but something good came out of leaving the plantation this time-Patton went to New York and recorded twenty-nine songs for the American Record Company. When these recordings were reissued in the mid-1960s, they sparked great interest in this Delta cropper who came to be known as the father of the blues." On the same page there is Patton's picture which noted he recorded for Paramount and became that label's biggest selling artist. It was the reissue of Patton's recordings by Yazoo, which presented mostly the Paramount recordings that led to this recognition of Patton's music.

Discussing Canned Heat which some strained to drink the alcohol from, DeSalvo notes that Canned Heat adopted their name from the Tommy Johnson recording and that the members of Canned Heat used their fame to help their blues heroes citing their collaboration in John Lee Hooker's "The Healer." Hmm, I would think that it was the classic double album, "Hooker and Heat," recorded when Alan Wilson, the Blind Owl, was still alive that not only was the recording that led to Hooker's crossover but it stands up with the best recordings Hooker ever made. It was an album the ghost band that is Canned Heat is today would be incapable of producing. Sorry for perhaps going off topic, but so many entries here go off topic. (Again sidebars would have been useful). However the fact she is so imprecise with this, makes me suspect the accuracy of some other entries.

She does include some suggested recordings, but more lyric quotes for the entries
would have been very helpful. Also there should have been more cross entries, such as in her discussion of policy numbers, cross references back to that entry should have been provided for some of the policy combinations. And there are numerous terms that are not discussed here. This is a really rough first effort and this work needs some serious reworking if it is going to be a useful tool, which probably also means she should find herself a collaborator and take into account the serious criticisms if she wants to put together a work that will stand up as scholarly and a reference.

The Poetry of Business

When I created The Poetry of Business - working from the inside out - I was using poetry to take a person through their career for the purpose of self examination and enlightenment. Poetry is one of the most powerful mediums to penetrate to the core of your beingness and invoke innate emotions and creativity. Leading from within is a great use of poetry and commentary used to inspire leadership, and I think it is exactly what it promoted itself as. I was thrilled to see another book combining poetry and its impact in the working culture. In addition it is a fundamental direction for the nurturing of poetry within, and the furthering of poetry in society.
Tracy Repchuk
Bestselling author of 31 Days to Millionaire Marketing Miracles
President and Founder of the Canadian Federation of Poets
Founder and Editor of Poetry Canada Magazine

There are many devotional resources, most of which serve us well in our faith formation. This book however has been a unique resource for me as a United Methodist pastor. It is a book filled with poems that have been selected by various individuals, some well known, others not. The individual gives a reflection on the meaning of the poem for her/him and then the poem following.

For me, I turn to this book at the end of the day, sitting in my easy chair I flip through the book in no particular order. I find myself reading the reflection by an individual. I then read the poem, allowing the person's reflection to "color" my perception of the poem. And then I sit in silence. No difficult/complex process. Just reflection, poem, silence.

As we are reminded in the Courage & Renewal work, the soul/spirit comes to us "at a slant". It is in the silence that I feel a particular sense of the sacred. This book is a rich resource to be read one poem/one reflection at a time. It is food for the long journey.

This wonderful anthology gives pleasure two ways: first, as a source of a wide variety of new and interesting poets and poems you may not have encountered before, always an important service for an anthology to perform. Second, however, the brief introductions that each contributor offers to his or her poem are a revelation and often as powerful as the poem itself. Who would have guessed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group, would both find inspiration in Tennyson's "Ulysses"? Or that a Congresswoman would be touched by Naomi Shihab Nye's "Kindness".

If you are expecting a collection of sentimental poetic candies, fear not. A few old chestnuts are here: "Invictus", for example, offered by a philosophy professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, but when you read his reason for including it, you read the poem with a new appreciation. Poets like William Stafford, Mary Oliver, and Langston Hughes are cited multiple times, and much-anthologized poets like Robert Frost and T.S. Eliot are here too, but so are poets new to me: William Ayot, Carol Zippert, or Ezzeddin Nasafi. Mystics like Rumi, Hafiz, and William Blake. Public figures like Eugene McCarthy and Martin Luther King Jr.

The 93 poems are thoughtfully grouped into eight sections with intriguing titles that will make sense to anyone who's been in a position of leadership: "Called", "Defining Moments", "Sometimes It Aches", "Pay Attention", "The Real Bottom Line", "Dare to Endure", "Leading Together", "Back At It". The editors have clearly paid attention to the poems and clearly thought deeply about leadership. We expect much of our leaders and project upon them powers and motives that only compound the responsibility they already carry. We hope they will inspire us, but we seldom think about where they find inspiration. This anthology offers their testimony and the result is an anthology that rewards multiple readings. Whether you lead a large corporation or a school PTA, you'll find it inspiring to listen to leaders praise the poems that inspire them.

The richness of the poetry in Leading for Within will resonate with anyone who faces challenges in leadership. And the well chosen poetry is enhanced by personal reflections of remarkably wise leaders who have contributed to this wonderful book. It has become my trusted resource -used frequently for personal sustenance in legal academia. It's a perfect gift to inspire and comfort those who embrace leadership day in and day out.

I have come late in life to poetry. I learned in high school how to dissect and wrestle a poem to the ground not how to savor and take a poem into my heart for my own use. This book of poetry and reflections is one I can savor. I so enjoy reading how others have found inspiration in a poem that I too have come to love like the poem "Lost" by David Wagoner with a reflection by Peter Senge. I highly recommend this book.

My dad gave the kids this marvelous rendition of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. The captivating illustrations and gravings by Christopher Bing are incredibly emotion-evoking. In fact, I had to stop reading several times due to the lump in my throat. The ending is the best ~ a true gem for American families everywhere to treasure for years to come.

Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff and Sahm I Am: Tales of a Stay-at-Home Mom in Europe, lives near Munich, Germany, with her husband and two children.

This is my child's oppinion of the book."I recently memorized this poem for school and found it quite boring and I did not want to learn it at all. But then after I learned it I read this book and saw all the pictures and I really started to appreciate that I learned it. The pictures really made the poem come to life and I really wish I had the book while learning it. Now I have it memorized and I am hoping to get a copy of the book!"

This book is a gift for a home schooling mom like me, who frequently fell asleep in my history classes in school! It really evokes the excitement, mixed with fear that must have been present at that time in history. Longfellow perfectly captures the passion and determination that gripped these "patriots". In addition, the illustrations are fantastic - true art.

This book comes alive when you open it and are allowed to step back in time with the wonderful backbeat of Longfellow's great American poem about the "the British are coming", and awakening of the people from Boston to Concord by Paul Revere. This is the beginning of America! Right before the "shot heard round the world" folks. A poem that shaped America not only in the eyes of Americans, but the rest of the world. Longfellow's poetry was simple genius. The art of Christopher Bing is outstanding. This exceptional book has the kind of creativity I would like to see more of in Children's Literature. A unique book that can be found on adult bookshelves as well.

You know this book is special as soon as you touch it. You realize that the look of leather on the cover is just that, a look. You flip through the pages and find a scrapbook, complete with worn and mildewed pages, enhanced with token mementos that look so three-dimensional you must trace them with a tentative finger. A letter from Thomas Gage to Lieutenant Colonel Smith is tucked inside the front cover; the Deposition of Paul Revere is stuck in the back. We find a map of the British plan and a corresponding map of the Middlesex Alarm, including Revere's actual route. This is *not* just a casual recitation of the classic poem. The words proceed on faded sheets while Bing's illustrations hint at period woodcuts. No explanations are necessary within the text. Notes are saved for the end, and they reveal the minor inaccuracies in the Longfellow version (one of the biggest being that Paul Revere was captured outside of Lexington and that his companion Dr. Samuel Prescott was the one who made it all the way to Concord). A gift for any age ... especially for those of us who can chime off part of the rhyme but forget the whole story.

I must admit ,I have never really been much of a lover of poetry.We were all "subjected" to poetry in school,but I can't recall anything that spoke to me the way that the poems in this collection do.I have always enjoyed Robert Service's ballads about the North,but those were more about characters and stories.The poems in this book are very short and so clear, that instead of having to figure out what the message is,you will immediately think about the message. Most all of the things Ferrel writes about have been experienced by all of us.An expression that comes to mind to me when I read and think about these poems is;"He sees where others only look."
As we go through these poems, we encounter
happiness,sorrow,love,yearning,hope,dispair,passion,loneliness,fear,death,living,inspiration,and all those things we meet in our daily lives. Most of us just take these things in our stride,and move on.In other words,we just look but don't see.
To start with ,Ferrel is able to see,and more importantly is able to let us see, through his poems of amazingly few words. Is there any better way to express the idea of freedom and its loss ,than we see in his poem "Mighty Stallion"?
As you read these poems,you feel that Ferrel is speaking to you as well as to himself. Did he suffer the loss of his greatest love,did he find another? And you think what about yourself.
In "Blink of an Eye",he sums up the journey of life we all must take;

"In the blink of an eye
We are born.
In the blink of an eye
We die.
.
.
.
Think long,
Think hard,
Before you take
The step of no return."

Although I found meaning in every poem and many were personal to me;I also was spellbound by the way he dealt with crime in the last poem in the book. Throughout the book, the concept of "You reap what you sow" comes through over and over again;but never better than in ;

CRIME

A bullet
Broke the silence
Of a peaceful
Summer night.

It stopped the
Would-be robber
In his
Tracks.

The robber
Took the hit,
And then
He quickly fell.

One shot
Was all it took
To send him
Straight to hell!

This is a book that you'l want to turn to often for ispiration.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

In the opening pages of her book of poetry "The Mighty Stallion", poet C. G. Ferrel advises readers to `seek the truth in all things" and "be honest, fair and sincere". These are the exact characteristics one can find in his work. In the poems gather in this volume, readers can easily identify a writer being very honest in order to reach the truth.

His poems are short and sincere. Ferrel writes verses about family and feelings. Some of them are sad, others, a little happier - but they are all surrounded by true feelings of life. "Seek to find/Your needs in true. And you will find/ A better you" tells us one of the poems. How can someone resist to such a thing?

Many of the poems in this book have the feel of a haiku or a Zen Koan. They reflect upon life, death and change in simple, yet eloquent language. Sometimes sad, yet generally hopeful, these works are truly illustrative of a life that has been lived to the fullest extent. In a sense, the selections can be viewed as a guidebook or travelogue, authored by a patiently observant soul. It's difficult to drop these poems into a category, but for some reason they remind me of the music of Johnny Cash. An hour or even a couple of minutes with the poetry of C.G. Ferrel is time well spent.

C.G. Ferrel has the ability to put words together in a brief structure (often as few as 4 lines) that not only tell a story, but give cause for reflection. THE MIGHTY STALLION contains 80 such poems.

A menagerie of emotions come into play here, from pleasue to pain, love to loss. Ferrel's poetry speaks directly to the reader in a straightforward fashion. Not a lot of stilted verbiage here, just good poems.

After reading the poems in this book one comes away with the definite feeling that Mr. Ferrel is a man of traditional family values and that he's lived a long time, learning many things as he traveled through life.

These poems are slices of life; from love, friendship and happiness to loss, sadness, tragedy and death, Mr. Ferrel writes of it all. His short bursts of reflection are food for thought and make the reader reflect on his own life.

In reading poetry, I feel that only one or two poems should be read at one sitting, in order to savor the meaning and reflect on it. I got the most from each poem by reading in that manner.

My personal favorite was LINDA on page seventeen, and I appreciated the wisdom in LIVING IS DYING (p 12). The title poem, THE MIGHTY STALLION (p24) is also excellent, and the cover photo gives one a feeling of power ... of strength. What beautiful animals stallions are!

Thanks to this author for several hours of introspection. A slim volume but well worth the money.

In "My Journey to Serenity," Kiki Hays Faktor explores the inner workings of the mind and heart as she draws her emotional line in the sand. Through the author's humor and thoughtful reveries she shows us how crucial boundaries are in human relations. The book's poetic format made the reading enjoyable and easily digestible. I found myself reading pages before I went to bed at night--as a reminder and a comfort.

This is one of the books that I leave "out" ... so that I can frequently pick it up and open to a random page. I always find something that fits. They are delightful 'zingers' that cut right to point of some obstacle of my thinking, or my action (or inaction) as the case may be. Kiki's writing is fluid and succinct, elegant yet efficient, inspired and inspirational. Recommended reading for anyone trudging the road to serenity. - Stanley M. author of "The Glumlot Letters"

I am absolutely touched to the core by this truly magnificent book. I am especially impressed with how much the author's stories actually relate to my life. So much of what is written here reads like a step by step process answering the riddles of my past and present life. I am convinced that I can turn to any page and find some truth about my life, man is that wonderful. Again I thank you for this work of magic which definitely brought me the tears, laughter and insight. This is a must read for everyone!

Bam! Kiki hits you where it counts. Right in the kisser! I can apply most of this book to myself and the rest to a few poeple I know. Use this tool, I mean it. I can really help you understand. It has helped me in my journey!

Great book! Couldn't put it down. More like poetic prose than poetry. Kiki Faktor tells it like it is in a loving and humorous way.

This wonderful book was a joy to read. Alex definitely has a way with words and it will be no surprise before a major publisher snatches him up. The brother in the book however was a sex fiend *lol* but I loved the poetry and I loved how the character initially found himself.

This book was so good that it kept my attention and entertained me as well. I found myself laughing outloud and softly crying at some emotional parts of this novel. I would recommend this book highly for those who love to read and those who would LIKE to read a good novel, but just haven't found the RIGHT one. Alex Hairston did a marvelous job on this novel and I can't wait to read his next!! Surprisingly many men are finding this book to be good...probably because they see themselves in Eric Brown, Jr.

I consider myself a pretty avid reader. I happened upon this author as i was going to lunch one day. He was out there sell ing his book and talking with people. I thought to myself if he is working this hard to promote his book I can spend the money to buy it. All i can say is that it is not a waste of time or money. He gives you a funny, sexy and often very touching look at a life most people would consider a pretty normal. It is worth the time spent reading it. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down.

This book was extremely well written. I could see the characters as I read. The life of the lead character was one to which most of us could relate and was interesting enough to hold ones attention until the very last word. The poetry was powerful and at times erotic. The book was hard to put down and I was sad when I was finished. I kept rereading the last page. I look forward to the second book from Mr. Hairston and some more of that poetry.

Several months ago, I was asked to read this book. Let me be first to say "never judge a book by its cover". I read 100 pages in a few hours. This is a coming of age, love story that takes on a very indept look at the life of Eric Brown. It was funny, true to life and at times over the top (but that does not mean that it could not happen) and romantic.

Alex's writing is clever and to the point. He does not waste a lot of time telling you the story eventhough sometimes I think he give you too much information (I liked the vacation on the island but I did not need that detail explainaion of the room decor). For his first novel, I think that Alex has written a very clever book that is different from a lot of the other stories that we are reading. I thought the poetry was really good. My personal favorite is "BLACK". Once you met Alex, his appeal will no doubt convenience you that the book is worth reading.

And speaking of covers- The illustration was made by his teenage son! That is very impressive.

Congratulations Again Alex!! I look forward to your next novel from BET books.
Peace and Blessings!!

Mr. Aiken is a prolific writer and pours his soul out lyrically. The title speaks for itself and will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Enjoy his emphatic expressions of love, inspiration, and revolution. You won't be disappointed.

It was enjoying to read, even though I'm not into poetry and inspirational books but I did enjoy it for the most part. Especially You and Me, I really liked that, it hit home.

I thought that Mr. Aiken's poetry is phenomenal, thought-provoking, and inspirational. I especially liked the poem
"Domestic Violence," which re-opened my eyes to the injustices that face my people.

I'm hardly an authoritative critic of poetry. In fact, I don't really know much about poetry at this point. The only poet I know something about is Emily Dickinson, and Vaughh T. Aiken's "My Soul is not For Sale" is about as far from Emily Dickinson's style as one can get. So, I don't know how much use my thoughts will be on this book, but I'll share what I can.

What I sense from this book is a man searching, and in many instances finding, his true identity. What is also very evident is Mr. Aiken's identification with his people and pride in his own culture. I found this a breath of fresh air, and a reminder of a world I once lived among. I lived in a mostly African American neighborhood during my teen years; and the prose in these poems, the cultural signifiers, really take me back and make me long for what was one of the happiest eras of my life. I really miss the African American community.

My Soul is not For Sale is filled with poems of love and inspiration. One of my favorite poems in this book is "Domestic Violence." It metaphorically displays how a certain group of people have been constantly beaten down and disenfranchised by its own country, namely The USA. Vaughn T. Aiken has written thought provoking poems and they're an excellent read for college students or anybody who wants to be inspired.

FABULOUS! I loved this book of poems written by ten different women. They make it easy for you to feel the joy, desire, pain and humor they've experienced. It connected with my soul.

This cozy book by 10 diverse and talented ladies is a comfortable, intimate read. It provokes thoughts, makes you smile, makes you feel and think about many things. i especially liked Sandy Fackler's 'Green Beads', which evokes poignant childhood memories that many must share.

Anyone over thirty has to relate to P. Diane Truswell's, "Competition Circa 1957," the things women have done to recognize themselves or others. The "how" is different now but the "why" is still the same. "The Dance," by Mary L. Kling speaks for all of us less than gifted wanna-be dancers, ball players, singers, etc. and the people or things that stand in our way. Humor, sorrow, quick and elongated; all the poems in ON WINGS OF WORDS merit one read, or two, or three......

What a wonderful experience!! Loved reading it! These women have truly done a marvelous job of writing what is in women's hearts. They are wonderful. I hope and pray there will be more. Thank you!

Although the book was small, it did pack quite a punch. These ladies seem to write directly from the heart. Many of the passages left you wanting to know more but before long you were relating the topics to things that have happened in your own life. I would recommend the book to all and would hope that there will be more books to follow.

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.