Customer Reviews

Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You : Chiasmus and a World of Quotations That Say What They Mean and Mean What They Say

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dr. Mardy Groethe not only introduced me to the literary deviceof chiasmus, but completely engaged and entertained me with his bookon the subject. The book is truly a joy! Dr. Groethe's chiasmi span from old to new, from light to meaningful, from humorous to serious. He shows how chiasmus are used by everyone: from poets to politicians, from writers to actors, from coaches to philosophers. Adding to the book is how Dr. Groethe organizes it, essentially enabling the reader to find a chiasmus for any occasion. It's no surprise to me that "Never Let A Fool Kiss You..." is the 8th best-selling quotation book in amazon.com's history (as of 1/10/00) and going strong!

A new lover of chiasmus, I visited Dr. Groethe's website immediately after reading his book and signed up to receive free daily chiastic quotes directly from him!

What a great little book. If you like wordplay, philosphy, history and pop culture, you'll love reading chiamus quotes from then and now. Chiasmus stretchs and delights the mind. I bought the book as a guide to my teenage daughter...you know...for the kissing part, but it has also become a delightful source of information as well as entertainment. We have fun trying to make up our own chiasmus lines. If you subscribe to Grothe's weekly Chiasmic Quotes...you'll discover a new puzzle and antedote. It always gives a moment of thought or mirth; giving new pleasure to the announcement to 'you've got mail'.

There are books that you can really get into, and there are books that really get into you. Dr. Mardy Grothe's "Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You" is one of the latter. It is a book to be savored like a hearty soup. If you encounter the book or the wonderful web site chiasmus.com as I did, you will come in the door not knowing what a "chiasmus" is, and afterwards you will find examples everywhere. You will even start making them up. There are books one reads for information and others one reads for pleasure. This book is wonderfully informative. As for pleasure, that word is too bland to describe the delights in store for the reader. The knowledge of chiasmus will expand and stretch you, helping you see things you never saw before and challenging you to think in ways you've never thought before. God bless you, Mardy Grothe, for the gift of this book!

Dr. Grothe's book is a joy to read. He says in his book that it is written for the intellectually curious with an interest in words, language and quotations. If this definition comes even close to who you think you are, this book is for you. It is best read at a slow reflective pace like a fine wine or a good cup of tea. As Grothe quotes Brougham "It is well to read everything of something and something of everything." This book offers you something of everything in its completeness of categories and everything of something in its love of chiasmus. What a gem!!!

This is one of the more fun books that I've ever read, I found myself sitting up all night looking at the different phrases in the book, and working to restrain myself so that it wouldn't be over too soon. The sheer amount of chiasmus that is assembled in this book is very impressive, and it makes for a very fun read. I would reccomend it to anyone who likes words or chiasmus.

To think that Dr. Grothe found the word chiasmus and wrote a book about it is unbelievable. He obviously enjoyed the writing and the research. How did he find all the quotes and express them in such an enjoyable and organized way? His book kept me reading, reflecting,and noticing chiastic quotes everywhere. This book and word should be required reading for English 101. Thanks to Dr. Grothe for a refreshing text for word lovers!

I consider myself fairly intelligent, yet had never heard of a chiasmus. When I learned of them through this book, you can't imagine the fun I had trying to create them commuting to and from work. I imagine I will someday be able to start presentations with quotes that I made up that fell into this category - which isn't conceit, but rather thanks to the author for writing this book.

If only all reference books were this much fun...and useful. I sling words for a living...and this elegant little tome is an easy investment.

It's a particularly tart way to blow through writer's block.

For people who like "quotes" and "interesting lines", this book is as good as it gets. Excellent language skills and interesting quotes on this book.

Had a lot of fun reading it.

Welcome to the concept of chiasmus. Once you read this book - you'll notice these phrases popping up where you least expect them.