For lovers of words and seekers of wisdom, a lively history of aphorisms--the shortest and oldest written art form--and the intriguing people who have penned them, from the Buddha to Emily Dickinson.
Starting with the ancient Chinese and ending with contemporary Europeans and Americans, The World in a Phrase tells the story of the aphorism through spirited and amusing biographies of some of its greatest practitioners: Americans like Ambrose Bierce, Emily Dickinson, and Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker; great French aphorists like Montaigne, La Rochefoucauld, and Chamfort; philosophers like Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein; as well as prophets and sages like the Buddha, Lao Tzu, and Jesus. Though it's an ancient art form, the aphorism is as spritely and as apposite as ever. Challenging and subversive, aphorisms deliver the short, sharp shocks of old forgotten truths. They are literature's hand luggage: they're light and compact, you can take them anywhere, and they contain everything you need to get through a rough day at the office or a dark night of the soul. But more than just a literary history, The World in a Phrase is a personal memoir of how aphorisms changed Geary's life--and how, if not for an aphorism by W.H. Auden, he might never have met his wife. In our modern age of drive-through culture, pre-digested soundbites, and manufactured sentiment, The World in a Phrase explores how aphorisms still retain the power to instigate and inspire, enlighten and enrage, entertain and edify.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
WITHOUT GOOD REFERENCE:
I HAVE NOT YET COMPLETED THE BOOK. HOWEVER, I DID FIND A STATEMENT ACCUSING CHRIST OF MURDERING PEOPLE. I CHECKED FOR A REFERENCE. GEARY MENTIONED THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS IN THE NAG HAMMADI. I CHECKED IT OUT, READ THE WHOLE OF IT AND DIDN'T FIND ANY SUCH REPORT. WHY? BECAUSE IT ISN'T TRUE. FIRST OF ALL. CHRIST'S DISCIPLES WOULD NOT SAY SUCH A THING. CHRIST TAUGHT LOVE, WHILE, IF YOU READ THE KORAN, MUHAMMAD TAUGHT HATE AND MURDERED OTHERS TO FORCE HIS RELIGION ON THE PEOPLE. THIS INFORMATION IS FROM A... more info
In a phrase, tell me more!:
OK fun fly-weight volume about aphorisms, which are defined as sayings that are brief, direct, personal, philosophical, and contain an unexpected twist. Come to think of it, the book matches its subject, but Geary frankly doesn't do that good of a job with the history part. There seems to be a flatness about his writing, which, added to his stated and obvious predilection for Eastern religion, makes the book just OK when it could have been better in the hands of a better writer.
Not about writing.:
I purchased this book to learn more about aphorisms - examples, insights, understanding. I hoped to be entertained with numerous gems written by insightful people. Instead, I received a philosphy book from some hippy who seems to have abandoned his Christian upbringing. The man is a rebel, and I respect that, I just would not have purchased this book had he been honest enough to tell me what he was writing about.
Thought Provoking:
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.
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