I have never owned a "quotations book," and I never had the desire to own one. But, getting ready to deliver a new speech, I now have the desire to pepper it with entertaining quotations, to illustrate my points.
To do so, one can go off of one's memory, but, as Joseph Epstein points out in his witty introduction, one will miss the mark: the quote and the attribution will most likely be wrong. So much for illustrating one's point!
Still, what I like most about this book is the sheer entertainment value. I keep it next to me on my desk, and, in a free moment, I would rather graze through it than surf the Internet.
The quotes are obviously weighted towards American authors and pop culture icons of the last 50 years. It includes famous lines in films, advertising and music culture. The chances that your quotation will hit the mark with your audience are greater with this book.
One note of caution: you shouldn't read this book looking for an author's most literate quote. The purpose of the book is to provide the most famous quote and nail down the attribution. Nevertheless, that shouldn't prevent you from deriving immense pleasure from just reading the book from page 1 to 851. |
The Yale Book of Quotations Books In Print, Audio Books.