The Most Brilliant Thoughts of All Time (In Two Lines or Less) (Hardcover)

~ John M. Shanahan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Talkers are no good doers."-- William Shakespeare

"The height of cleverness is to be able to conceal it."-- FranÇois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

"It is hard to believe a man is telling you the truth when you know you would lie if you were in his place."-- H. L. Mencken

"It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.-- Gore Vidal

"Women keep a special corner of their hearts for sins theyhave never committed."-- Cornelia Otis Skinner

"You lose it if you talk about it.-- Ernest Hemingway

"The worst thing about some men is that when they are not drunk they are sober."-- William Butler Yeats

"Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five."-- William Somerset Maugham

You don't have to be a genius to sound like one. Here's a collection of the most profound and provocative wit and wisdom in the English language in two lines or less. Edited by entrepreneur John M. Shanahan, who created the wildly successful Hooked on Phonics program, this wonderful book presents the best that has been thought and said on every imaginable topic.

Classified by such themes as "Truth, Lies, and Deception," "Men, Women, and Relationships," and "Passions, Virtues, and Vices," these quotes contain timeless messages for all humankind. Oscar Wilde: "A man who marries his mistress leaves a vacancy in that position." Charles de Gaulle: "The cemetery is filled with indispensable men." Abraham Lincoln: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Sophocles: "Men of ill judgment oft ignore the good that lies within their hands, till they have lost it."

Perfect for anyone who has ever been left speechless, this book will make you as glib as Oscar Wilde, as profound as Winston Churchill, and as wise as Aesop. Inspirational, entertaining, and thought-provoking, this is one collection that no library or bookshelf should be without.

• Free CD Included

About the Author

John M. Shanahan is a true Renaissance man. He is the creator of the nationally acclaimed reading program Hooked on Phonics, and original syndicator of the number one talk radio show in America. This highly successful entrepreneur is also an accomplished composer, gourmet chef, and collector of antique automobiles and historic documents. John and his wife, Alice, have three grown children Julie, John, and Sean.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harper (May 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060194111
• ISBN-13: 978-0060194116
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #59,315 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most of the most intelligent one-liners of all time, August 3, 1999

By A Customer

This is a great little book to read when you are looking for illumination by humanity's intellects and wags. Shanahan has done a good job of editing these into topical sections. My only complaint with the book is that the editor decides to include a number of his own thoughts among the "Most Brilliant". Now he is a smart man, to be sure, but it is just a little too prideful to include yourself in such a book. His first self quote appears on the very first page of quotes. What his self inclusion does do, however is illustrate the difference between the truly brialliant thoughts and those that aren't. Shanahan's editorial job is delightful, his self promotion to most brilliant embarassing for him at best.

78 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book to peruse once a day., April 3, 2002

By	Doulos (USA) - See all my reviews

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Summary:

Great book to review each day and contemplate one or two thoughts from some of the world's foremost "thinkers".

The point is to contemplate their thoughts, not to just accept them. Just like reading your daily astrology, some quotes can be so general as to lack basis.

Good reference tool for writers, or leaders who need to quickly and capably convey thoughts, or ideas.

Includes a CD to listen to in the car, etc.

Review:

Shanahan has put together many great one liners into a single volume; about 6 per page.

Contents are logically divided:

Acknowledgments
1.....The Human Condition
2.....Success, Fortune, Failure, and Misfortune
3.....Truth, Lies, and Deception
4.....Talk, Talk, Talk
5.....Passions, Virtues, and Vices
6.....It's Only in Your Mind
7.....Men, Women, and Relationships
8.....Religion, Nature, and God
9.....Life's Passages
10....Human Foibles
11....Pursuits - Artistic and Otherwise
12....History and Government
13....Stuff to Think About
Sources

The "Sources" lists each author alphabetically, with the quote source and quote placement with the page numbers.

Negative:

1.....The CD has no look-up capability, so you can only listen to it linearly, and cannot use it as a search tool.

2.....There is no index, or topical list for searching for quotes using specific words (like searching for "love", "ocean", "heart", etc).

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Mite Self-Serving, November 16, 2001

By	sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The title alone makes the modest person back up a little and think, "Are you SURE?" And yes, the author considers a few of his own Most Brilliant Thoughts worthy of inclusion. (We blush for him.) I was surprised that the "Reader's Digest" was the source for some of the material, and a few (very few, to be fair) of the brilliant thinkers were Oprah, Erica Jong, and Marlene Dietrich. Delightful ladies all, but Most Brilliant Thinkers of All Time?

I am a junkie for books of quotes and maxims, though I freely admit this shows a certain lack of depth. There are many quotes included that you wish you had for ready reference, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson's

"People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character."

My, wouldn't I just like to spring that one on some of my more pessimistic friends! However, unless you memorize the ones you like, "Most Brilliant, etc." is not user-friendly. It has no subject or line index, which I find very irritating and a major drawback.

The sections are vague, and quotes are repeated in different sections. It could be Mr. Shannahan thought one quote applicable to many situations, but it seems like padding. The book is handsome, with the quotes well spaced and easy to read. I met a few I had never seen before, and am stirred to further inquiry on some of the authors. Grade: C-