Great Quotations that Shaped the Western World

Book excerpt: This book is a treasury of the greatest quotations in western history. It is over two-thirds quotations of the West's greatest thinkers and one-third a brief history of their times. Great Quotations That Shaped the Western World is organized chronologically as a history in "bite-size" portions so that casual readers can use it as a coffee table book for browsing. The longest portions are of the 136 authors in the Chicago Canon of the Great Books, only 11 (mostly scientists) are not included. A deeper understanding of Great Quotations that Shaped the Western World... Great Quotations was compiled by a conservative businessman, a "man in the arena" whose experience in evaluating national economies helps him to identify the cultural precepts that sustain liberty, freedom, democracy, and capitalism. Also, the author covers supply-side economics and the practice of management—things that increased America's standard of living by over a factor of ten in the past century! Serious students—high school to post-graduate—and those who want to have an overview of western history and those who want a competitive edge should read Great Quotations That Shaped the Western World. Reading ten pages daily completes it easily in a summer. At summer's end, readers can stand on the shoulders of giants when they write or speak. Dr. Johnson said, "Classical quotation is the parole of literate men the world over." And, if you quote, people know you are well-read.