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Great Thoughts, Revised and Updated [Paperback]

George Seldes (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 21, 1996
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 works of philosophy, poetry, psychology, economics, politics, memoirs, and letters from the ancient Greeks to the modern Americans.

Now Seldes's splendid and important work has been revised and updated to include the great thoughts that have changed our world in the decade since the book's first appearance.  Quotations from leaders as varied as Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa, Yitzak Rabin, Newt Gingrich, and Jesse Jackson reflect the radical shifts in the world political scene.  Toni Morrison and Cornel West speak out on the enduring vitality of African-American culture.  Alvin Toffler and Arthur C. Clarke give us a glimpse into the future.  Gloria Steinem and Monique Wittig define the motives and the goals of late twentieth-century feminism.  Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, and Wallace Stegner ponder the meaning of wilderness in an increasingly populated and industrialized world.  These and scores of other thinkers in all major disciplines have added their voices to this new edition of The Great Thoughts.

USA Today praised the first edition of The Great Thoughts as "a browser's delight."  The work of a lifetime, brought up-to-date to reflect the global upheaval of the past decade, The Great Thoughts stands alone as an enduring achievement and an invaluable resource.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

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 works of philosophy, poetry, psychology, economics, politics, memoirs, and letters from the ancient Greeks to the modern Americans.

Now Seldes's splendid and important work has been revised and updated to include the great thoughts that have changed our world in the decade since the book's first appearance.  Quotations from leaders as varied as Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa, Yitzak Rabin, Newt Gingrich, and Jesse Jackson reflect the radical shifts in the world political scene.  Toni Morrison and Cornel West speak out on the enduring vitality of African-American culture.  Alvin Toffler and Arthur C. Clarke give us a glimpse into the future.  Gloria Steinem and Monique Wittig define the motives and the goals of late twentieth-century feminism.  Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, and Wallace Stegner ponder the meaning of wilderness in an increasingly populated and industrialized world.  These and scores of other thinkers in all major disciplines have added their voices to this new edition of The Great Thoughts.

USA Today praised the first edition of The Great Thoughts as "a browser's delight."  The work of a lifetime, brought up-to-date to reflect the global upheaval of the past decade, The Great Thoughts stands alone as an enduring achievement and an invaluable resource.

About the Author

George Seldes was one of the great muckraking journalists and the author of twenty books, including Witness to a Century.  He began his career as a cub reporter for The Pittsburgh Leader, rose to international correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, and founded his own newspaper, dedicated to the truth.  

George Seldes died at the age of 104 in July 1995.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 576 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books; Rev Upd edition (May 21, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345404289
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345404282
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Compilation of The Greatest of All Thoughts., April 15, 2004
This review is from: Great Thoughts, Revised and Updated (Paperback)
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.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A FANTASTIC WORK THAT IS BOUND TO ENLIGHTEN., June 5, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Great Thoughts, Revised and Updated (Paperback)
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.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A solid Quote collection, April 10, 2001
This review is from: Great Thoughts, Revised and Updated (Paperback)
This book was originally put together by a very successful journalist who had access to the most famous people of the times. Interestingly, various editions are, or at least, have been available in either author or subject categorized.

I really like the quotes Seldes selected and this is one of the 30 or 40 books (from among the 400+ quote books I own) I use most (in the subject listed format) to dig up quotes for topics I am researching.

It's not one of the top five I'd buy, but if you see one one sale, grab it. It's a nice one to add to a quotation collection or to give as a gift. ALso, the price is better than many others, and it's another book you can often get for just a few dollars at a used book shop or through one of the used book web vendors.

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Every man, every woman carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
great quotations
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, New York, Jesus Christ, Declaration of Independence, Karl Marx, United Nations, Ness York, Views of Religion, American Black, American Revolution, Living Philosophies, Times Magazine, Diogenes Laertius, Greek Anthology, Native American, Saturday Review, Soviet Russian, Walter Kaufmann, American Negro, American Socialist, Don Juan, German Nazi, Holy Ghost, House of Commons, House of Lords
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