Customer Reviews

Quotations of Thomas Jefferson (Great American Quote Books)

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

 

 

Note: Amazon.com is mixing the reviews of two completely unrelated Thomas Jefferson books. This review is for Quotations of Thomas Jefferson, not Thomas Jefferson: Writings, Autobiography, Notes on the State of Virginia, Public and Private Papers, Addresses, Letters.

"Quotations of Thomas Jefferson" contains numerous fake quotations. Fake quotations are far more common than most people realize. Real quotations can be tracked back to specific writings of the person being quoted. On the other hand, fake quotations spread like folklore. They spread from book to book, web page to web page, simply because the quotation sounds nice and is attributed to a famous person, without anyone verifying or documenting the original source. Here's a tip: if the book doesn't provide references for each quotation, many of the quotes are probably fake.

It is really unfortunate that the person who compiled this book didn't bother to visit the Monticello website's "Spurious Quotations" page. They would have found that several of the Jefferson quotes in the book are known to be fake. The person who compiled this book also didn't provide any references to document the authenticity of the quotations contained within it.

If you want a book with real, verifiable quotations, try Bartlett's Familiar Quotations or the aforementioned Thomas Jefferson: Writings, Autobiography, Notes on the State of Virginia, Public and Private Papers, Addresses, Letters.

Update: Apparently, some people who have read my review don't understand what I said in the very first paragraph, so let me re-emphasize. Amazon.com is cross-posting these reviews to the web pages for TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THOMAS JEFFERSON BOOKS! I cannot control the fact that the review I posted for a poor-quality Thomas Jefferson book is also ending up on the web page for a good-quality Thomas Jefferson book. If the cover of the book you are looking at is green, then it is a bad book with fake quotes. That's the book I posted my review for. If the cover of the book you are looking at is black, then my review does not apply. It is Amazon.com's fault that all of these reviews are being cross-posted to two entirely different books.

Update 2: Amazon.com has fixed the problem of cross-linking the reviews. The book you are looking at is indeed the one with the fake quotations.

No living individual knows the U.S. Constitution or the fundamentals of our National Heritage as well as Thomas Jefferson. Fortunately, he was a prolific writer and this book helps us to see the convictions and the truths which inspired the founding fathers. This book should be required study in every elementary class in the American school system.

This book had some great quotes in it, but it was way too short to earn a good rating. The book is only 30+ pages with 3-6 quotes on almost every page. Most quotation books have at least 400 - 4,000 quotes, so this was a huge disappointment. That being said, Thomas Jefferson said many profound things, and if you are a huge Jefferson fan, you will probably find a lot of value in this book. If that's you, Enjoy!

Todd Hagopian
President/CEO
Hagopian Institute
Author of the popular "Quote Junkie" book sereies and the brand new "Idiom Junkie" series

Words of wisdom from a courageous man who understood sacrifice...who risked everything in this world to turn back tyranny from wherever he found it! We will always remain greatful! Perfect Gift!!!!!!!!!

This little book is crammed with wise quotes, which are just as important today as they were when Jefferson lived.

This book is tiny! It's 32 pages with about 4 short quotes per page. Not worth $10. Barely worth $2. Know what you're getting into before you buy this book. The five star reviews are highly misleading and don't appear to be reviewing this specific book. I'm returning it immediately because the publisher, Applewood Books, is obviously inflating the reviews or there is a mistake on Amazon's part. Either way, don't waste your money. Thomas Jefferson was an amazing person, but his legacy should not be tarnished by this "book."

I have this book (I checked the IBSN#). It's 32 pages of quotes, and that's it. No papers, no index, etc. I think the other customer reviews are innacurate in that they are probably about an entirely different book.

So about *THIS* book, I love it. It's got the well-known quotes like "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." and lesser-known quotes like "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."

It's not a scholarly work. It doesn't have citations to explain where the quotes came from, but it was exactly what I was looking for.

If you are a fan of Liberty, this book is a must buy.

At approximately $10.00 I expected a little more material than this 32 page, index card size book, provided.