Format: Kindle EditionChange
Price:$3.99
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
on March 20, 2017
Hey! A free Kindle First book that's not a sappy romance novel!! This book is moderately interesting, but I think part of the problem is although falsely attributed quotes on facebook bother me, I didn't find the chronological excerpting of these quotes as they wound up in their current form very interesting.
Another problem is that many of the initial misattributions are just so clearly WRONG, that it doesn't seem worth the effort to point it out. Two examples from about midway through the book come to mind:
1. "Be Kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." This quote is apparently often misattributed to Plato. I have not seen it attributed to Plato, but have seen it misattributed to C.S. Lewis before. I almost chuckled when I saw the attribution. Why? The sentiment in this quote just doesn't fit with the person of Plato, nor would it plausibly be said by anyone in the ancient world. Why? Because its such a clearly christian sentiment. It would be like posting the "footprints in the sand" poem and then attributing it to Socrates.
2. "The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away." Apparently attributed to William Shakespeare, and/or Pablo Piccaso. As was the case of the prior example, this one doesn't fit with either of the people who it's attributed to. First off, Shakespeare wrote English well. He didn't write sappy Hallmark card lines like the above 'quote.' Second this quote just stinks of the late 20th century. People didn't talk like this in the past. Probably because it sounds stupid. Anyways, what do you know, when the author traced the quote all the way back to its earliest origins--it originated in 1993.
Anyways, the book goes through a lot more quotes which you've probably seen on facebook, in an artsy font with some pastel picture behind them. It reads like a collection of webarticles bunking and debunking the various attributions of these quotes. As Abraham Lincoln never said: "People who like this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing they like," I do not really like this sort of thing.
Another problem is that many of the initial misattributions are just so clearly WRONG, that it doesn't seem worth the effort to point it out. Two examples from about midway through the book come to mind:
1. "Be Kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." This quote is apparently often misattributed to Plato. I have not seen it attributed to Plato, but have seen it misattributed to C.S. Lewis before. I almost chuckled when I saw the attribution. Why? The sentiment in this quote just doesn't fit with the person of Plato, nor would it plausibly be said by anyone in the ancient world. Why? Because its such a clearly christian sentiment. It would be like posting the "footprints in the sand" poem and then attributing it to Socrates.
2. "The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away." Apparently attributed to William Shakespeare, and/or Pablo Piccaso. As was the case of the prior example, this one doesn't fit with either of the people who it's attributed to. First off, Shakespeare wrote English well. He didn't write sappy Hallmark card lines like the above 'quote.' Second this quote just stinks of the late 20th century. People didn't talk like this in the past. Probably because it sounds stupid. Anyways, what do you know, when the author traced the quote all the way back to its earliest origins--it originated in 1993.
Anyways, the book goes through a lot more quotes which you've probably seen on facebook, in an artsy font with some pastel picture behind them. It reads like a collection of webarticles bunking and debunking the various attributions of these quotes. As Abraham Lincoln never said: "People who like this sort of thing will find it the sort of thing they like," I do not really like this sort of thing.
on May 16, 2017
The first few were interesting, but I lost interest after that. I respect the extensive research that must have gone into this book, but found it of little interest. The quotations seem to all run along these lines: Famous person A quoted or paraphrased something said by less famous person B. Less famous person B misquoted something said by a 19th Century writer, who was paraphrasing something originally said by an unknown Latin scholar. As I said, impressive research to track down all the links, but ultimately I did not care.
on April 3, 2017
Actually, consider a native American tribe that survived by fishing. They would never consider teaching a man to fish, they all learned when they were children. The Chinese did publish, so it wasn't them. There are more questions asked then answered, but in this book Occam's Razor does not apply. The lazy answer is wrong. A lot of work goes into this book, the research is daunting. However, who said "give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for life" isn't answered. Wasn't the Indians, wasn't the Chinese, wasn't Jesus. The more you know.......
on March 30, 2017
After reading this I will never trust a quote again. The author goes into detailed background in order to try to discover where the quote originated. He cites his sources and, in some cases, goes back many years to try to discover the truth. If you are interested in the history of words and phrases, this may be the book for you.
on April 18, 2017
The textbook and classroom poster companies all need copies of this book. Now the meaningful motivational quotes that were posted on my classroom walls are either collecting dust, sporting a typed name of another individual taped on it (especially fun when the poster has the portrait of someone who didn't actually first---or possibly ever---say it, or the misattributed name has been cut off the poster. The textbook is another story altogether. GREAT RESOURCE!!! And such an interesting read!!!
on May 1, 2017
This was an intriguing read. Garson O'Toole begins by telling us how e-books developed over time, and how it is possible to trace back through the extensive data bases of books and speeches, magazines and reviews available today to discover exactly who - and when - a quote was first created. And he also tells us how simple can often be difficult. I love that the first phrase he researched was "May you live in interesting times". Really, we do. And mostly it is a blessing.
on May 22, 2017
I have to agree with most of the other reviewers here: This was just a disappointing book, and not what I expected. That does NOT mean it is a bad book, not at all. It is heavily footnoted, seems well researched, and is really a textbook. It is not a book you will read from cover to cover, unless you are, perhaps, a scholar. As a book to dip into from time to time, to satisfy your curiosity, it's fine. Just don't expect a light, fluffy read!
on April 15, 2017
I read this book in spurts, not all in one go. The author has done an extraordinary job in digging out the histories of these quotes! His line of inquiry is exhaustive, and I found that I had also been mis-attributing some quotes. His writing is informative and sometimes humorous. A good source book, if sometimes a little dry. Recommended for those, 14 and up, who really enjoy digging I to the origins of our language and culture.
on May 7, 2017
I was not prepared for a "pure" reference book. Perhaps I misread (misunderstood?) the description, but ...
If you are looking for an in depth "reference" review of the source of popular quotations, then this is definitely for you.
If you expected some "story" content, or even just some connective prose, then find something else.
Also, I found the material to be a little hard to follow. Over all, I wish I had passed on this.
If you are looking for an in depth "reference" review of the source of popular quotations, then this is definitely for you.
If you expected some "story" content, or even just some connective prose, then find something else.
Also, I found the material to be a little hard to follow. Over all, I wish I had passed on this.
