The Great Thoughts, Revised and Updated: From Abelard to Zola, from Ancient Greece to Contemporary America, the Ideas That Have Shaped the History of

by George Seldes

Book Overview

Upon its publication, George Seldes's The Great Thoughts instantly took its place as a classic--a treasure house of the seminal ideas that have shaped the intellectual history of the world down through the ages. Seldes, a pivotal figure in the history of American journalism and a tireless researcher, spent the better part of his extraordinary lifetime compiling the thoughts that rule the world, casting his net widely and wisely through the essential...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345404289
• ISBN13: 9780345404282
• Release Date: May 1996
• Publisher: Ballantine Group
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful collection of quotes

I bought this as a gift and ended up keeping it, there are so many great quotes and such. something for everyone.

A Good Compilation of The Greatest of All Thoughts.

The story behind Seldes' gathering up these quotes and ideas, malaprops and famous last words are as interesting as the quotes themselves. After a glorious career as a world renown journalist and essayist, at age 70 he began to cull the ideas that helped shape Western Civilization. That beginning was in 1960. He forwarded the finished document to the publisher in 1984. He was ninty-four at the time. And the work became one of the best selling books of it's kind ever. The editors had to step in to pare down the number of pages he had of Freud passages from 40 pages to 20. Seldes could not easily part with some of the Freud citations. Editors have a raison d'etre, afterall. Aldous Huxley forwarded the idea that civilization's grand pronouncements and great ideas could be tempered by some grand pronouncements and not so great ideas--so, along side Emerson and Mandela in Seldes work, one may find Hitler and Castro. Shakespeare and the Bible were avoided as references...far too many quotes the author has noted. Plus, there are concordances of each which can give the reader a more thorough coverage than what Seldes can offer.I have always been able to open the book up anywhere and read some thought provoking idea. That's why I enjoy it so much: it's good for the casual browser. Also, it acts as an appetite whettor to those who are exposed to, say, the 3 or 4 citations from Nietsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra and feel as if they wish to read more. My advice, overall, to those who will listen has always been--"Open your mind. Open a book and read". This volume of The Great Thoughts will help you enjoy your journey.

A Debater's Perspective

The Great Thoughts was the first quote book that I used for writing cases in Lincoln Douglas debate in High School. I found that the quotations were thorough and wide-ranging. The Great Thoughts contains many useful authors from all time periods and all races. I have used quotations from Mahatma Ghandi to Plato. Another added bonus is that the book comes with longer quotations. A longer quote insures that a reader won't take a quote out of context. I've used The Great Thoughts for Debate, for school papers, and for my job as a writer at my school newspaper. I reccommend the Great Thoughts without any hesitations.

A FANTASTIC WORK THAT IS BOUND TO ENLIGHTEN.

I LOVE TO QUOTE OR PARAPHRASE IDEAS OF THOSE THAT HAVE INFLUENCED OUR SOCIETY. THIS COMPILATION OF WRITINGS ALLOWS THE READER TO EASILY OBTAIN PASSAGES FROM THEIR FAVORITE PHILOSOPHERS AND LEADERS. I HAVE RECOMMENDED THIS BOOK TO MANY FRIENDS AS A TOOL FOR INTRODUCING THEIR CHILDREN TO THE THOUGHTS THAT HAVE SHAPED THE WAY OUR SOCIETIES AND CULTURES EXIST.

Essential. A Modern Classic.

A wealth of insightful thinking from across the ages; the book is nothing short of amazing.

An excellent collection of quotes

A collection of quotes organized by people this book gives highlights of great thinkers thoughts. In addition it has an index organized by subject. For a paper or merely pure inspiration this is the perfect book