Product Description

From the author of the multimillion-selling The Peter Principle, and The Peter Prescription, here is a timeless collection of some of history's greatest and best-expressed thoughts. Organized alphabetically by subject -- from Ability to Zoos -- and completely cross-refernced by related categories, Peter's Quotations is a joy to use. Packed with many unusual and little-known quotations of great wit, Dr. Peter's reference book is not only fun to read -- an idea mine for writers, students, and public speakers -- but it is also relevant to the sometimes overwhelming problems of today. Peter's Quotations is priceless.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176361 in Books
• Published on: 1993-03-29
• Released on: 1993-03-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

About the Author
Before Dr. Laurence Peter's death in 1988, he was a professor of education at the University of Southern California and at the University of British Columbia.

Customer Reviews

good, in specific situations
I prefer Bartlett's for one major reason: You know where what you're looking for came from. There's plenty of good material in here, don't get me wrong, but if it's a Shakespeare quotation, I like to know *exactly* where it came from in MacBeth, so I can find it and cite it!

It does have an interesting organization-- by theme-- which is different from Bartlett's and can make flipping through it amusing. In that way, you can actually pick this up and just browse instead of reading 16 pages of lines from Paradise Lost, all together.

However, if you're looking for something practical, something you can use to give people an answer if they ask you, "Hey, that was interesting, where did it come from, exactly?," you're not going to be able to answer the "exactly" part. Just be aware of that.

excellent reference
Well worth the price of the book - excellent collection of quotes. Wonderful source of reference. I look forward to "wearing it out" as one other reader has!!!

Great for writers/speakers
A lot of quote books focus on the timeless and famous or the "witty" and not-so-meaningful. Peter's Quotations is a clasic among public speakers and essayists because it focusses on what these people are likely to need. It addresses broad, abstract topics such as "kindness" but also lays out the lawyer jokes. The topics are a good mix of the immortal and the current and, while often witty, are never ridiculous or campy (well, almost never campy). I've used it for years as a debater and public speaker, as a coach, and as a teacher. The best indication I can give you of its outstanding usefulness is that I buy a new copy for my speech team every year because a graduating senior always steals the old one. I'm on my third personal copy because I've worn two others out.