Customer Reviews

The World in a Phrase: A History of Aphorisms

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This book was amazing! Not only did it include quirky, enlightening, and thought-prokoking aphorisms, but it also gave a background about the writer of the aphorisms too. needless to say, this has sent me on numerous tangents wanting to learn more. I have bought four or five other books since based on what I read here. I'm sure I will be reading this one over and over again. Couldn't reccommend it enough.

I understand Mr. Geary well, for I have also loved and cherished Aphorisms from my childhood.
The idea of finding 'wisdom' and 'insight into life' in one brief memorable sentence has long been part of my reading and thinking.
I do not know however, if I would , exactly accept his definition of the Aphorism as it seems to me that there are 'Aphorisms' which do not require some kind of 'twist' or ' surprise' but simply by their profundity overwhelm and reverberate in our consciousness.
Consider Pascal's " The silence of these infinite spaces casts me into dread" or Wittgenstein's " Of that which we cannot speak, we must be silent".
And as I say this I wonder if I am not perhaps going beyond the bounds of the 'Aphorism' and simply assuming that it contains 'all memorable statements'.
In any case there is much to be learned and enjoyed in this historical excursion into one of Literature and Life's most delightful forms.

James Geary explores the history and development of aphoristic expression in this useful little book, and he does so by both entertaining and informing in the way aphorisms do. His last chapter is about the Jefferson Bible, and it sums up his project very nicely. As Geary concludes in the end, "aphorisms are the elixir of life," for only they "tell it like it really is." So reading Geary's book can be like walking through a minefield populated with the most exquisite fauna, a bracing and hazardous experience that is also filled with wonder. Those who live in the warm embrace of received wisdom, and who comfort themselves with rosey reliance on conformity in thought and deed, will not enjoy this journey. But as the book points out in quoting Jenny Holzer, "playing it safe can cause a lot of damage in the long run." Reading this book now after having read many of the authors Geary surveys, and having learned to my delight of those unknown to me, I was encouraged to press on in my own way of thinking, to stop doubting myself. There is not a self-help book in the world that will bully you into your sense the way Nietzsche or Chamfort can with an absolute economy of words. Geary's book was such a breath of fresh air, especially in this age of spin and lies, because he brings the reader face to face with those who spoke directly without apology about the truth of the human condition.

I tend to avoid cliches like the plague. I find them to be hypocritical, seldom usefull, and stereotypcial. Cliches are over utilized today in society for many reasons. One; most people are too lazy to read, and two; few care about expanding their palette of knowledge.

My faith in the wisdom of succint phrases had nearly fizzled out until my eyes beheld James Geary's work of genius. The book commences with a short biographical sketch of Geary's interest in aphorisms and proceeds to define what exactly an aphorism is.

He then designs the book chronologically. So as one reads the book they are traveling through an aphorism timeline. Geary first outlines the great sage aphorists, beginning with Lao-tzu, Budda, up too Muhammad.

The book continues through time briefly outlining the various aphorists up to present day. Geary provides the reader with a biographical taste of the various aphorists and leaves you hungering for more. The World in a Phrase is a quick read packed with nuggets of wisdom one can use over and over again.

What a gem of a book this is.I have enjoyed and in a rather loose fashion,collected them for as long as I remember hearing them as a child.I often wonder who made them up in the first place;a wonderment which only becomes greater with time.I don't remember what was the first one I ever heard ;maybe my Mom telling me that "If you're going to tell lies you'll need an awfully good memory.",or my Dad saying "Haste makes waste".It seems some are forgotten while others stick like glue.
Geary makes a noble attempt to put order and reason into this great use of language.Aphorisms are used by all cultures, in all fields of endeavors,all levels of education;it doesn't matter where you go, you'll find them.The author leans in his discussions to the great leaders,thinkers and writers of history but Aphorisms are as much the property of the most common and uneducated of people as they are of the famous.One of the common elements of them is that of wisdom and that can be found in all walks of life.
The author has been a long time fan of them and even tried his hand at composing them.He gives us a sample of his attempts;
"Not too many people live in the desert."
"Sometimes,two goldfish in a bowl are enough."
He tells us one of his all time favorites is;
"I have often been forced on my knees by the overwhelming conviction that there is no place else to go"-Abraham Lincoln
Then there's one that he thinks about every day;
"The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth."

He attempts to write the 5 Laws of Aphorisms;
1 It must be brief.
2 It must be definitive,it must proclaim rather than argue
ie,"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".
3 It must be personal."Don't think!,Do."
4 It must have a twist."An original writer is not one who
imitates nobody,but one who nobody can imitate."
5 It must be philosophical."many accidents are today's
purposes." or "The Maxims of men reveal their hearts. I am not sure at all that there there are 5 laws that either cover all Aphorisms or that all Aphorisms adhere to,but it was a good exercise for the author to think about.But,so what,the thought is worthwhile.
He covers sayings from the down to earth unsophisticated lines of Yogi Berra when asked the time;"You mean now?" to the words of the great Oscar Wilde,"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance".Then there even quotes from Dr.Seusse;
"You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose."
Then he takes a look at some present day stuff;Jenny Holzen writes them for all sorts of products and gives us one from a condom wrapper;
"Men don't protect you anymore".
There is no end to this business of Aphorisms,one-liners,proverbs,sayings,truisms,maxims,epigrms,adages,dictums,or whatever else you choose to call them;they comprise the wisdom of the ages and this book makes a good stab at trying to analyze them.Take one like "You can't get blood out of a stone";It doesnt really matter who was the first to say it,whether you first heard it in a bar room or read it in a great work of literature;it is does meet all the 5 Laws Geary has given us.
Another type of one-liners I collect is more often referred to
as 'insults ' .Although Geary doesn't address them,they meet his 5 Laws.A few of my favorites are;
"He's a nice guy,but a half bubble off plumb."
"His gene pool doesn't have a deep end."
"His wheel's spinning,but his hampster's asleep.
"Where people have a brain,he has resonance."
"He hasn't the brainpower to toast a crouton."
"He's all booster,no payload."
Just a few different than the old standards like;
"He's not playing with a full deck."
Well, we just finished another year filled with a continuing stream of events;but the Aphorism that was new to me and one of the best I've ever heard was from Lt.General Honare who took over operations in New Orleans,after Hurricane Katrina..."Don't Get Stuck on Stupid";aqain it meets all the 5 Laws..in spades!
If you like this sort of thing,or are often lost for a statement to wrap up a discussion,this book is for you.

The 'Publisher's Weekly' review pretty well says it all: this man is obsessed with aphorisms (a sort of bite-sized parable). I felt like the author got in his own way, though; in his enthusiasm for the form, he filled the book with his flowery descriptions (bring your dictionary), and managed to personally contribute very little of substance. I realize that aphorisms play with language to say the absolute maximum in an absolute minimum of space, but primarily the author only manages to communicate his enthusiasm for the form. Perhaps that's the point, but I'm not sure.

The author introduces us to one aphorist after another and teases with just the lightest sample from each. He attempts to be spare and comprehensive and would have been better choosing. You'll find very few new aphorisms and little new history. I regret my purchase.

Very interesting, and Philosophical. James Geary gives brief backgrounds on the authors and insight into their ways of thinking. Keep a dictionary close. I found this book to be an amazing vocabulary builder.

I picked this little gem up off the discount rack of a local bookstore, after glancing inside to make sure I knew what an aphorism is. (My definition: "A pithy little saying of condensed wisdom or insight, easily committed to memory.") Geary begins our journey with his own personal account--The Confessions of an Aphorism Addict--and then leads on through seven more chapters arranged in roughly chronological fashion, grouped by great thinkers of similar bent. Their short biographies make for fascinating reading, punctuated in bold print by their astute commentaries. The Zen masters, Greek & Roman stoics, French & Spanish moralists, religious skeptics, American wits, and light versifiers are all well represented here ... leading up to a discussion of modern twists on the form. A good book doesn't just end, it invites you to keep on exploring new thoughts or subjects of interest. I am happy to have been so invited.

1) I bought this book to learn about Aphorism's

2) I started to read it and found that I wanted to just skim it for the neat Aphorism's

3) After skimming I saved the book for the stories around the people that gave us the Aphorism.

4) I entered any Aphorism I thought was great in my Evernote account for quick reference

5) I placed this on my writing reference shelf

6) I will pull this book out again when I have a witty Aphorism and need the story behind it

7) Don't have high expectations - Think Reference