Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists

by James Geary

Book Overview

Both an expert and a collector, James Geary has devoted his life to aphorisms-and the last few years to organizing, indexing, and even translating them. The result is Geary's Guide, featuring aphorists like Voltaire, Twain, Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Woody Allen, Muhammad Ali, Emily Dickinson, and Mae West, as well as international practitioners appearing in English for the first time. But it is more than just a conventional anthology. It is also...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1596912529
• ISBN13: 9781596912526
• Release Date: October 2007
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Length: 437 Pages
• Weight: 1.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.9" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Unique guide to the best thoughts of all-time.

This book is a gem. Every week this year I read one book, and other than a couple works of classic literature, this is the only book I loved without reservation. It should be in the home library of everyone who is interested in reading wise insights into the human condition or just wants to browse through a book of thoughtful reflections - and hopefully that covers everybody! It is a high quality work of reference and even more delightful to read all the way through. I have two very minor reservations: first, that the brief biographical notes on each aphorist overlap Geary's earlier aphorism book to a great extent (that book is also excellent, but briefer, thus lacking in the depth of this title); my second concern is that this book appears to not have sold well enough to warrant an updated edition someday - alas. I have wondered whether it is even possible that there could be a better and more concise book of timeless wisdom ever compiled - I doubt it. That was meant as a compliment. This is actually a "desert island" book, and given its modest size and price should be given to any thoughtful person in your life. Of course it is not the only handbook of aphorisms on the market, but it is the most personable and carefully selected, with a perfect balance of classic, modern, and contemporary writers (including many obscure and translated sources). No matter your level of education or intellectual curiosity you will find something meaningful on each and every page. After you enjoy this book (which I know you will) please help spread the good word for this special title.

Excellent collection, good for inspiration

I originally purchased this book for help in writing my wedding vow. I didn't use it for that but find myself cracking it open for inspiration quite frequently. The index in the back is quite useful when one needs to find aphorisms for a certain specific subject. All in all, a good collection well executed.

An excellent resource of aphorisms

"Another book of quotes?" I groaned as I perused James Geary's book. Frankly, while it may have a lot of quotes, it is a superb resource for aphorisms, lumped by author and cross referenced by related topics. While there are familiar ones, there are aphorists of less renown. Useful as a reference, it also makes for some fun reading. While generally laid out well, the choice of chapters and groupings were somewhat novel (read: less than intuitive), it is a helpful addendum for authors or those in search of just the right aphorism to color their work.

A must - have book for aphorism- lovers

Unlike most of the anthologies of aphorisms and wise- sayings that I know this one is not primarily classified by subject , but rather by author. Geary provides a very useful biographical sketch of each other and a few or as much as a couple of dozen of their aphorisms. He classifies the authors by their professions or backgrounds: e.g. "Comics, Critics and Satirists," "Icons and Iconoclasts," "Philosophers and Theorists". The author claims that this is the largest book of aphorisms there is in English. It certainly does contain many aphorists I had not known of. There is a biographical sketch for each aphorist and samples of their work. Geary has his own list of qualities for determining whether a saying or sentence is an aphorism. "It must be brief. It must be definitive. It must be personal -- that's the difference between an aphorism and a proverb. It must be philosophical -- that's the difference between an aphorism and a platitude, which is not philosophical," "And the fifth law is it must have a twist. And that can be either a linguistic twist or a psychological twist or even a twist in logic that somehow flips the reader into a totally unexpected place." Like other considerable collections of aphorisms i.e. 'The Viking Book of Aphorisms ed. by W.H. Auden and L. Kronenberger or the 'Oxford Book of Aphorisms ed. John Gross- this book provides a vast amount of material for 'thought' i.e. Aphorisms cannot really be read consecutively and gobbled up quickly one after the other. They make their initial impressions but then we often want to ponder whether they are really 'true' or not for us. 'One man's aphorism may well be another's pretentious and erroneous generalization' What does seem unquestionable is that anyone who really takes interest in the form, who just happens to love aphorisms( as I do) will want to have this volume to add to their collection. 'Once you have read one book of aphorisms, you haven't read them all'. The Aphorism is a quick- fix of wisdom. But it also can be so profound that it stays with the person as guiding principle of life. It can too provide fundamental understanding of a subject. In other words "The reader of good aphorisms profits doubly. He gains both in delight and in wisdom" Whether cold and cynical LaRouchefoucaud , violent and hysterically suprising Nietzsche, profound and serene Pascal, rough- and tumble common- sensical Eric Hoffer, or supremely paradoxical and elusive Kafka, each aphorist has a tone and a flavor of his own. This collection was put together after vast study of the subject and brings before the reader many new aphorists of real quality. While it is doubtful that any reader will encompass this work cover to cover, it is clear "It is better to read a part of a good book, than not to read it at all."

A must-buy for writers and a great book for all readers

As a writer, I love and use aphorisms all the time. They add to your writing and help the reader understand and appreciate what you write. An aphorism is a short, witty, philosophical saying. Here are a couple of examples: When I am shaving in the morning and I behold my rapidly receding hairline--a modest curl rushing towards the crown of my head like some follicular riptide--I think of Jean Cocteau and his quip: "Mirrors would do well to reflect a little more before sending back images." "Sex without love is an empty gesture. But as empty gestures go, it is one of the best." I find using aphorisms fun. I also find they give my writing wit and humor, which my readers enjoy. This is a comprehensive guide to aphorisms and is a wonderful tool for writers and public speakers as well as must-have reading for all language lovers. You'll find aphorisms from such notables as Sun Tzu and Desmond Tutu. I think there are around 400 or so aphorisms in the book. When I started stocking my writing library many years ago, one of the main books recommended to me was a good book of aphorisms. So I will pass that recommendation on. And this would be a great book to fill that bill.