Review by Choice Review
Law librarian Shapiro has produced a unique and superlative addition to quotation works. Whereas Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (17th ed., 2002) and The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, ed. by E. Knowles (6th ed., CH, May'05, 42-4958) have certainly earned their place on reference shelves, this one deserves a place beside them. Following the entertaining foreword, the editor states the rationale for his compilation and how to use its guide. The work (850 pages of quotations and a keyword index of over 200 pages) "takes a broad view of what constitutes a quotation, from passages of writing or speech that range in length from a sentence to a paragraph or longer; to lines or stanzas of poetry; to short phrases, slogans, and proverbs." Entries, listed alphabetically by author, are not limited to their familiarity or fame, but are included because of "their wit, eloquence, or insight," or "their historical importance." Unique emphasis is given to contemporary and popular culture. In addition to author and anonymous headings, nearly a dozen categories group other entries: advertising slogans, ballads, film lines, folk and anonymous songs, modern proverbs, nursery rhymes, political slogans, proverbs, radio catchphrases, sayings, and television catchphrases. Readers and writers at all levels will appreciate this achievement. ^BSumming Up: Essential. All levels. D. G. Davis Jr. emeritus, University of Texas at Austin
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
To paraphrase Ira Gershwin, on every page that you turn you meet a notable with a statement that is eminently quotable in this collection. According to editor Shapiro, this is the first quotation book to be compiled using state-of-the-art research methods to seek out quotations and to trace quotation sources. He compares his approach with that of the Oxford English Dictionary: he, too, traces words back to their earliest possible usages. Using a variety of electronic sources, such as JSTOR, LexisNexis, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, and Times Digital Archive, scores of quotations were verified, and in many cases reverified. The more than 12,000 quotations collected here span a wide array of subjects, from literature, philosophy, and history to science, business, and politics. Quotations are presented alphabetically by the name of the author or speaker. Shakespeare and the Bible, the mother lodes of quotations, are amply represented, but emphasis is on modern and American materials. Children's authors, who are often ignored in other dictionaries, are quoted here. There are a number of special sections devoted to particular types of quotations, among them advertising slogans, ballads, film lines, political slogans, and radio and television catchphrases. Song lyrics are entered by the name of the composer, and film lines appear either under the film title in the special section devoted to movie lines or, if they originated in a book or play upon which the film was based, under the author of that literary source. Proverbs span the centuries and often include evidence of a saying's first print appearance. A keyword index, an essential element of any quotation dictionary, rounds out the text. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (17th ed., Little, Brown, 2002) has around 25,000 quotations, and Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (6th ed., 2004) has more than 20,000. Although the Yale dictionary is smaller, readers may find it a richer source for familiar names, from Dr. Seuss to Donald Rumsfeld, and for special categories such as advertising slogans and film lines. Quotation dictionaries are an essential part of the reference collection, and this one, with its broad scope and meticulous attention to the origins of the material quoted, will enhance any collection, large or small. --Carolyn Mulac Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
This collection of 12,000 quotations is a real treat! The quotes range over literature, history, popular culture, sports, computers, science, politics, law, and the social sciences, and although American quotations are emphasized, the book's scope is global. The authors represented are as diverse as William Shakespeare, John Lennon, Jack Dempsey, both Presidents Bush, J.K. Rowling, Rita Mae Brown, Confucius, Warren Buffet, and Deng Xiaoping. The entries are arranged by author, then chronologically and alphabetically by source title within the same year. A significant effort was made to trace the first published occurrence of a quotation, and whenever possible the wording is taken from the original source (which may differ from the popular version). Citations for the sources are given for each quotation, and secondary sources are given where the primary source could not be found. Electronic products such as the Times Digital Archive, JSTOR, Proquest Historical Newspapers and American Periodical Series, LexisNexis, Newspaperarchive.com, Questia, Eighteenth Century Collections Online, and Literature Online were all used. Stumpers-L and the American Dialect Society were also consulted. Anonymous and collective quotations are listed in sections such as "Advertising Slogans," "Ballads," "Nursery Rhymes," "Radio Catchphrases," and "Proverbs." Film lines have their own section, although song lyrics are under the lyricist's name, when known. Related quotations are cross referenced. Bottom Line The scope and detail of research here is impressive, and the advanced copy's typeface and layout make the work inviting. If the index (not seen) is as thorough and well done as the body of the work, libraries will want to purchase a copy for reference and for circulation, even if they haven't been buying quotation books recently. Every library will want one for circulation because browsing it is such fun. Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
