'[Geary] has delicately plucked only the statement that exemplify each biographical leg of his journey. The result is effective and it is impossible not to be swept along with his enthusiasm' -- TLS 'Pleasant, personal, thoughtful ... wonderful ... delightful' -- Booklist 'This is a real treasure house. I intend to raid it relentlessly' -- John Humphrys 'The definitive work on aphorisms, a love letter--cum--memoir disguised as a reference book ... fellow fanatics will be delighted' -- Publishers Weekly 'An entertaining love letter to the compact formJames Gearycalls 'literature's hand luggage' -- New York Times 'A delight ... offers extraordinary phrases that any lover of the prickly thought and the graceful sentence can savor' -- New York Sun 'Geary serves up old favorites: Montaigne, La Rochefoucauld, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce. But he has also rustled up phrase-makers who are undeservedly forgotten' -- Washington Post 'A thought-provoking tour through the world's wisest words from prophets, thinkers and poets.' -- Good Book Guide 20061001 '[Geary] wears his obvious learning very lightly, and provides entertaining and informative commentary on figures ranging from Confucius to Dr Seuss' -- What's on in London 20061001 'Might become a Christmas bestseller - another Eats, Shoots and Leaves perhaps?' -- Bookseller 20061001 'An enjoyable commentary on some of the world's most memorable aphorisms' -- Bookseller 20050805 'A headlong gallop through the world of philososphy' -- Bookseller 20050812 '[Geary] has delicately plucked only the statement that exemplify each biographical leg of his journey. The result is effective and it is impossible not to be swept along with his enthusiasm' -- TLS: Isobel Shirwal 20060703 'A treasure trove of the wisest and wittiest sayings in the world!.[Geary's] enthusiasm shines through this delightful little book' -- Sunday Express 20060703

James Geary is Time Magazine's Europe editor. He lives in London with his wife and three children. In addition to reading aphorisms, he likes to juggle.