Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature (17th Edition)

This edition is a bit too trendy (and, especially, too "politically correct" in some respects) and omits many classic quotes featured in previous editions. I shall stay with my 15th edition and actually wish I had kept my 14th and 13th as well. Hopefully, the earlier variations are still available in nice condition at a reasonable price. I intend to do a search for some of those earlier versions and I recommend that other serious "quote book" users do the same.

I always wondered how speakers knew all those quotations. Now I know. They check "Barltett's Quotations."

This book consists of an extensive collection of thousands of familiar quotations from hundreds of sources spanning the history of the world. Biblical books, literary works, historical figures, authors, politicians, religious figures and even the anonymous all contribute to this vast collection.

The collection is assembled by source, listed, more or less, chronologically. The book contains two indices. In the front, the reader finds the Index by Authors. After the quotations, we find a general index of topics. For each listing in the general index, we find the lead word as a heading with the citation for each lead word with the words which follow it in the quotation.

I have found this book to be a valuable resource on many occasions. Just reading through it educates the reader to the source of many sayings with which we are familiar. When I have been searching my brain for the particular phrase, I have often found it in "Bartlett's". When looking for a witty phrase with which to liven a speech, "Bartlett's" often comes in handy.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who needs a source for quotations for speeches, writings, or just to satisfy your own curiosity.

"Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making."

--John Milton

If you've a desire to learn, read great massive chunks of wisdom, and experience some of the finest writing known to exist, Bartlett's Quotations is a wonderful place to do it.

Inspirational, entertaining, and thought-provoking, this is one collection of great quotations that no library or bookshelf should be without. Sincerely, Diana J. Dell, author, "Memories Are Like Clouds" and "A Saigon Party: And Other Vietnam War Short Stories."

I've loved this book since I was a child. It is one my parents always left out for us to refer to as we were growing up, and I used to get lost in it as a child. As an adult, I find myself picking it up to look up one particular thing, and I still get sucked in for an hour or more. I have a ton of those little Post-It flags in the book to help me remember something I want to pass onto a friend. I use this book regularly, and it's one I'd never want to give up.

The book is arranged in a fairly standard format. At the beginning there is the alphabetical index of authors with page numbers. Then the quotes begin, listed chronologically (with which I have absolutely no problem, unlike some other reviewers). They begin with "The Song of the Harper" from c. 2650 - 2600 B.C. and go all the way to Monty Python, 1969 - 1974. There is a nice section of quotes by the famous "Anonymous", as well as nursery rhymes, shanties, and spirituals. The second half of the book is comprised of the index, which lists things by keyword, directing one to the page and item number (a pretty standard format).

All in all I find this book to be an invaluable addition to my home reference library, and don't hesitate to recommend it to anyone.