The 'Cassell Dictionary of Contemporary Quotations' brings together the most revealing, the most a must and the most poignant observations from a period that has been mulled over and discussed more than any other, the post-war era. Some quotations are already well known; others have been undeservedly forgotten, submerged beneath the sheer unremitting quantity of modern commentary and opinion. All have something to tell us about the contemporary world and our widely differing views of it.

Thousands of wryly amusing quotations on every conceivable aspect of life, arranged thematicallyTopics covered range from acting to writing, from happiness to poverty, and from civilisation to sexRepresents the biting wit and world-weary wisdom of cynics from all walks of life and all periods of history, including Aesop, Simone de Beauvoir, Noel Coward, Bette Davis, Albert Einstein and Frederick the Great to name but a fewFull author index

A collection of humorous quotations on a variety of topics.

A collection of some of the worst-chosen words in history, from gaffes by politicians to rash preditions and crass misjudgements.

In this lively gambol through the history of quotations and quotation books, Gary Saul Morson traces our enduring fascination with the words of others. Ranging from the remote past to the present, he explores the formation, development, and significance of quotations, while exploring the "verbal museums" in which they have been collected and displayed--commonplace books, treasuries, and anthologies. In his trademark clear, witty, and provocative style, Morson invites readers to share his delight in the shortest literary genre. The author defines what makes a quote quotable, as well as the (unexpected) differences between quotation and misquotation. He describes how quotations form, transform, and may eventually become idioms. How much of language itself is the residue of former quotations? Weaving in hundreds of intriguing quotations, common and unusual, Morson explores how the words of others constitute essential elements in the formation of a culture and of the self within that culture. In so doing, he provides a demonstration of that very process, captured in the pages of this extraordinary new book.