100 APHORISMS

Name: 100 APHORISMS
Author: Richard Halpern
ISBN: 978-1492744443

by Richard Halpern ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 17, 2013

A well-organized but not especially nuanced collection that could deliver conversation starters and go-to sayings for...

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In this collection of short quotes and brief bios, editor Halpern culls words of wisdom from a variety of eras, spanning themes and virtues.

This short collection, categorized and ordered by specific themes—money, knowledge, action, etc.—delivers wise sayings from late and great thinkers, writers, actors and other famous figures, from Alice Walker to Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Halpern selects poignant quotes that speak in memorable ways about universal truths. Each topic is paired with at least one insight from a well-known thinker: For example, Ezra Pound pontificates on the purpose of poetry, while Joseph Addison and others expound on happiness and the ways in which it is achieved. The quotes are accompanied by short biographies of each speaker that shed light on their experience, breadth of knowledge and credibility. Illustrated with black-and-white versions of famous paintings and drawings after every few quotes, the collection allows room to absorb concepts and to sometimes apply a more abstract expression of an idea. For example, Edvard Munch’s The Scream accompanies two quotes about life, tolerance and longevity. Halpern also selects a few quotes from anonymous sources, demonstrating that words can be powerful even without a historically significant name behind them. The book will appeal to readers looking for quick inspiration—e.g., H.L. Mencken: “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth”—though it may not satisfy those reaching for deeper, more specific ideas. The organizing principle of selecting 100 aphorisms that span 34 topics delivers quick, easily digestible statements but tends to brush the surface of each theme. Perhaps in subsequent collections the author could home in on a virtue and expand the field of influence to great thinkers across borders, genders and disciplines.

A well-organized but not especially nuanced collection that could deliver conversation starters and go-to sayings for speeches and public lectures.

Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2013

ISBN: 978-1492744443

Page Count: 220

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: July 8, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.