The Wit & Wisdom of Discworld

Discworld Companion Books

by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs

The perfect book for die-hard Pratchett fans and newcomers alike, a collection of the wittiest, pithiest and wisest quotations from the Discworld universe, organized into categories including the principal Discworld characters (Granny Weatherwax, Lord Vetinari), places (Unseen University, Ankh-Morpork, the City Watch) or even the occasionally concept (magic).


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Reference, Comedy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Sir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld is like a clip show for a successful sitcom or the greatest hits cd of your favorite band. It allows you to relive the best bits without all the stuff in between. Each page is like a trip down memory lane. I'd forgotten how funny some of the earlier Discworld books were.

The selections range from witty one-liners to long philosophical paragraphs. While I wouldn't recommend it to Prachett neophytes, it's definitely worth a grab for someone who wants to relive the early Pratchett novels without completely re-reading them.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE WIT & WISDOM OF DISCWORLD was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary
of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Its release coincided with the release of MAKING MONEY
in 2007. That was installment #36 in the series, so 5 additional books were yet to be written
to complete the series.

To read or not to read :
Incomplete history.
It's no longer 2007.....(I checked and it's not. You're welcome.)

To Read ?
Editor Stephen Briggs was close friend of, and collaborator with, Pratchett. He staged
15 Discworld plays and performed many of the audiobooks. Knows his subject.
I was new to the series, so it was a good introduction to the majority of the books.
A brief story line summary for each entry is followed by stand-alone quotes or actual
dialogue to capture the essence of the theme(s) without giving the story away.
No substitute for the books themselves.
A dip-into book.
Like a verbal movie trailer.
A guide book.
Amazon said I'd like it.

To Not Read?
Many quotes are memorable and relatable but some of the lengthier choices seemed like
page fillers or out of context-confusing. No rush to buy this book or that one now-feeling.
If you've read the books and loved any of them, you'll probably do a reread of the originals,
not because of someone else's opinion.
Are you a completest ? No good : the book was published before the series was done. Like
reading a biography of Lincoln that ends with Mary Todd Lincoln winning two free theatre
passes.
It's basically merchandising, guys ! 25th Anniversary "SPECIAL" !
Now I gotta buy the Rincewind lunchbox and the Discworld action figures (sold separately.)
Also, Amazon said I'd like it.

3.75 Stars rounded up to 4.0
O.K., so kill me. I liked it.
Not going to buy the Underoos, though.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of quotes from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels from "The Colour of Magic" up to "Making Money".

Books of quotes are always an interesting read, in the the person selecting them may not have selected your personal favourites, and you are sometimes left wondering why a particular quote was chosen.

Still, I garnered a number of delightful entries for my personal Common Place book, which is a good thing.

Most Terry Pratchett fans will be familiar with the quotes, but I'm recommending it, not to them, but to people who enjoy seeing the English language stretched, folded, and turned into something truly memorable.

[chvang · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's witty and wise. It's from Discworld. It makes me want to read Terry Pratchett. But ... something's missing. Maybe I expected too much, something like the distilled essence of Discworld, and instead got something more mundane: someone else's curation of quotes and snippets from Terry Pratchett's series. It was still a very enjoyable read, though.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of best pieces & quotes from the Terry Pratchett books. I haven't read all of the books yet, but I am more enthusiastic now after reading this great book. Some are just quotes, some are pieces, but all of them great & funny. I can imagine how hard it must have been for the writer to select quotes to make it in this book, because Terry Pratchett has so much great writing!! Recommended for big fans.

[Florin Pitea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice reading, but only makes you realize how much you miss a proper Discworld novel. Ach, crivens! Review available here: http://tesatorul.blogspot.ro/2017/08/...

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, it's pretty much what it says on the tin - a compilation of the wit and wisdom scattered throughout the Discworld from the inestimable Sir Pterry...

But, as it says in the forward/intro/thingie, it's as selected by Stephen Briggs - so there are some bits that I agreed with, some which didn't wow me, and some which I felt were missing. (The entry on Small Gods was depressingly small.)

Not a bad romp through the Discworld for someone who's already been and might just want a refresher of some of the best bits, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it for a novice because some bits just aren't as funny out of contect. (In fairness, Briggs tried to give as much context as necessary, but I don't think he always hit the mark.)

[Melanie Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ganz schöne Sammlung von Zitaten aus den Scheibenweltromanen. Ich fand sie nicht immer bezeichnend für Pratchetts Humor, aber ich konnte in einigen Erinnerungen schwelgen :)

[Serge Boucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever read a Discworld book, you know why this book of quotations is awesome. If not, what are you waiting for ?

[Melena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ganz klar für Fans der Scheibenwelt. Dieses Buch beinhaltet gesammelte Werke an Textstellen / Zitatan aus diversen Scheibenwelt-Büchern.

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge compendium of the best Discworld quotes and very usefully set in book order so they are most easy to find.

Full review to follow.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the best quotes from the Discworld books, all in one place (up until “Making Money”). An ideal book for dipping into at random and for this it’s better to have a physical edition rather than an ebook, but read whatever edition you can get hold of.

[Dj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, some of the quotes from the books are spot on with what I wanted to be reading and remembering from the books, often times I wondered why some were left out. It can truly be said that not everyone agrees on wit or wisdom.

[Franca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just don't believe every funny quote is this book, but it's been like rereading them all. Loved it!

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of context most of these aren’t half as funny as they are in the books. Also, not a great selection of his funniest bits per book. A shame

[Michael Bafford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of Stephen Briggs' favourite passages from Discworld novels from The Colour of Magic (1985) up to and including Making Money (2007). The final five books are possibly available in a later edition.

Here is the best of the best, beginning with my favourite:
"a person ignorant of the possibility of failure can be a half-brick in the path of the bicycle of history." p. 29

"Death visits a job centre:
'It would seem that you have no useful skill or talent whatsoever,' Keeble said. 'Have you thought of going into teaching?'
Death's face was a mask of terror. Well, it was always a mask of terror, but this time he meant it to be." p. 38

Raymond Chandler pastiche:
"Down these mean streets a man must walk, he thought. And along some of them he will break into a run." p. 45

"It was said that everything in Ankh-Morpork was for sale except for the beer and the women, both of which one merely rented." p. 47

"In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find..." p. 47

"'There is a knocking without,' the porter said.
'Without what?' said the Fool.
'Without the door, idiot.'
'The Fool gave him a worried look. 'A knocking without a door?' he said suspiciously. 'This isn't some kind of Zen, is it?'" p. 51

"According to the history books, the decisive battle that ended the Ankh-Morpork Civil War was fought between two handfuls of bone-weary men in a swamp early one misty morning and although one side claimed victory, ended with a practical score of Humans 0, ravens 1,000, which is the case with most battles." p. 86

"Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened." p. 86

"Mustrum Ridcully, Archchancellor of Unseen University, was a shameless autocondimentor*.
*Someone who will put certainly salt and probably pepper on any meal you put in front of them whatever it is and regardless of how much it's got on it already and regardless of how it tastes. Behavioural psychiatrists working for fast-food outlets around the universe have saved billions of whatever the local currency is by noting the autocondimenting phenomenon and advising their employers to leave seasoning out in the first place. This is really true." p. 94

"The Four Horsemen whose Ride presages the end of the world are known to be Death, War, Famine and Pestilence. But even less significant events have their own Horsemen. For example, the Four Horsemen of the Common Cold are Sniffles, Chesty, Nostril and Lack of Tissues; the Four Horsemen whose appearance foreshadows any public holiday are Storm, Gales, Sleet and Contra-flow*." p. 144-145
*"(Automotive Engineering) Brit two-way traffic on one carriageway of a motorway, esp to allow maintenance work to be carried out or an accident to be cleared." (The Free Dictionary)

"'All right,' said Susan. 'I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need . . . fantasies to make life bearable.'
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHER THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
'Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—?
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
'So we can believe the big ones?'
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
'They're not the same at all!'
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET— Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME . . . SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
'Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—
MY POINT EXACTLY. p. 173.

"...something that distinguishes the Mr Windlings of the universe is the term 'in my humble opinion', which they think adds weight to their statements rather than indicating, in reality, 'these are the mean little views of someone with the social grace of duckweed'..." p. 209

"Leonard of Quirm was so absent-mindedly clever that he could paint pictures that didn't just follow you around the room but went home with you and did the washing-up." p. 225

"Glint, glisten, glitter, gleam . . .
Tiffany thought a lot about words. 'Onomatopoeic', she'd discovered in the dictionary, meant words that sounded like the noise of the thing they were describing, like 'cuckoo'. But she thought there should be a word meaning 'a word that sounds like the noise a thing would make if that thing made a noise even though, actually, it doesn't, but would if it did'.
Glint for example. If light made a noise as it reflected off a distant window, it'd go 'glint!' And the light of tinsel, all those little glints chiming together, would make a noise like 'glitterglitter'. 'Gleam' was a clean, smooth noise from a surface that intended to shine all day. And 'glisten' was the soft, almost greasy sound of something rich and oily." p. 249

"'I'm an Igor, thur, we don't athk quethtionth.'
'Really? Why not?'
'I don't know, thur. I didn't athk.'" p. 293

Libraries:
"The three rules of the Librarians of Time and Space are: 1) Silence; 2) Books must be returned no later than the last date shown; and 3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality." p. 70

"'We're a university! We have to have a library!' said Ridcully. 'What sort of people would we be if we didn't go into the Library?
'Students,' said the Senior Wrangler morosely." p. 188

"By law and tradition the great Library of Unseen University is open to the public, although they aren't allowed as far as the magical shelves. They don't realize this, however, since the rules of time and space are twisted inside the Library and so hundreds of miles of shelving can easily be concealed inside a space roughly the thickness of paint.
People flock in, nevertheless, in search of answers to those questions only librarians are considered to be able to answer such as 'Is this the laundry?' 'How do you spell surreptitious?' and, on a regular basis: 'Do you have a book I remember reading once? It had a red cover and it turned out they were twins.'" p. 269

"Ridcully practised the First Available Surface method of filing." p. 270

Hats:
"No one knew better than Granny Weatherwax that hats were important. They weren't just clothing. Hats defined the head. They defined who you were. No one had ever heard of a wizard without a pointy hat – at least, no wizard worth speaking of. And you certainly never heard of a witch without one... It wasn't the wearing of the hats that counted so much as having one to wear. Every trade, every craft had its hat. That's why kings had hats. Take the crown off a king and all you had was someone good at having a weak chin and waving to people. Hats had power. Hats were important." p. 106

"...'That was an incredible feat of reasoning,' the woman said at last. 'Whatever kind of hat I've got on, you say it proves I'm a witch, yes?'
'Well, the frog sitting on your hat is a bit of a clue, too,' said Tiffany.
'I'm a toad, actually, said the creature, which had been peering at Tiffany from between the paper flowers.
'You're very yellow for a toad.'
'I've been a bit ill,' said the toad.
'And you talk,' said Tiffany.
'You only have my word for it,' said the toad, disappearing into the paper flowers. 'You can't prove anything.'
'Witches have animals they can talk to, called familiars. Like your toad there.'
'I'm not familiar,' said a voice from among the paper flowers. 'I'm just slightly presumptuous.'" p. 247, 248


Vimes of the City Watch:
"Vimes snorted. I grew up here, he thought, and when I walk down the street everyone says, 'Who's that glum bugger?' Carrot's been here a few months and everyone knows him. And he knows everyone. Everyone likes him. I'd be annoyed about that if only he wasn't so likeable." p. 127

Commander Vimes speaks to one of the Rank and File:
"'What is it I'm always telling you?'
'Never trust anybody, sir?'
'No, not that.'
'Everyone's guilty of something, sir?'
'Not that, either.'
'Just because someone's a member of an ethnic minority doesn't mean they're not a nasty small-minded little jerk, sir?'
'N–– When did I say that?'
'Last week, sir. After we'd had that visit form the Campaign for Equal Heights, sir.' p. 162

The Patrician, Lord Vetinary:
The tyrant of Ankh-Morpork tries pizza for the first time:
"'What's this?'
'A Klatchian Hots without anchovies,' said Vimes, lifting the cover. 'We got it from Ron's Pizza Hovel round the corner.'
'Has someone already eaten this, Vimes?'
'No, sir. That's just how they chop up the food.'
'Oh, I see. I thought perhaps the food-tasters were getting overenthusiastic,' said the Patrician...'" p. 161

"'Is he allowed to do that?'
'I think it comes under the rule of Quia Ego Sic Dico.'
'Yes, what does that mean?'
'"Because I say so", I think.'
'That doesn't sound like much of a rule!'
'Actually, it's the only one he needs.' p. 294

"'Every problem is an opportunity,' said Moist.
'Well if you upset Vetinary again you will have a wonderful opportunity to never have to buy a hat.'
'No, I think he likes a little opposition.'
'And are you any good at knowing how much?'
'No. It's what I enjoy. You get a wonderful view from the point of no return.'" p. 295

The best part of this book is – of course – that it inspires you to reread one of the master's pieces.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promised myself I would re-read the entire Discworld series in 2016, once I had bought the last one in paperback. I've now finally bought it, and have lots of reading time thanks to current medical circumstances. But I'm still holding back.

Or at least I was holding back, and then I read this, cover to cover, today. And it reminded me of everything I've always loved about Discworld, and it made me laugh, which I need right now. So I think I'm ready for the big re-read at last.

If you have never read a Discworld book, you could do worse than start with this one, but I'm not sure you'll understand why I've given it five stars. My advice would always be, start with Mort, don't get too hung up about reading them in the right order, and then come to this book when you're halfway through or finished.

If you're someone who tried The Colour of Magic and didn't much like it, my advice would be the same as for newcomers.

And if you're a massive Discworld fan, obvs you should read this, either so you can sigh in happy reminiscence, or so you can join in the doubtless thousands of online debates about what's in it and not in it. Personally I might well have made a different selection; but I won't know until I've read them all again, will I? And anyway I'm not going to argue with Stephen Briggs.

[Jen3n · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost feel like adding a "dissapointing" shelf just for this book.

I was hoping this book was a collection of the mavelous things Terry Pratchett writes in his novels. You know, those small sections in every Discworld book where he writes about what gods really are, or what it means to be alive, or the nature of time, or what magic really is? They tend to be short-ish sections without dialog. They're all beautifully written and feel absolutely True (with a capital T, even.)

That's not what this is.

It just seemed to be a random and sort-of chronological collection of funny little jokes from each of the books. Like where Vetinari says they aren't allowed to fight in a council of war (which, of course, is just an homage to the line from the movie Dr. Strangelove.)

I love the Discworld books. I highly esteem Terry Pratchett and think he has a genius for humor and for truth. I even really like Stephen Briggs, usually ... though I like him best as an illustrator. I just really don't like this book. I gave it three starts for Discworld and for Terry, but I really would NOT recommend it.

i feel sad now ....

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice collection of witty quotes from the Discworld series. Obviously, it would be impossible for Stephen Briggs to have collected all of my personal favorite quotes, what with him not being me... I used to obsessively collect my favorite quotes from all the books I've read but stopped five years ago, so I only collected quotes from about half of the Discworld series. I was overall happy with this collection, and it saved me a lot of legwork since I doubt I'll ever get back to my collecting again!

I definitely found this to be worth the purchase, since now I'll have something to easily turn to and get some quick giggles out of. Pratchett is always good for some smiles, and it's nice to have some of the best moments easily accessible for those times when I need them. That and I imagine this could be really useful in trying to convert more friends to the series--just whip this out and easily find some great wit to share with them. I always love spreading Terry Pratchett love around.

[Adelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Discworld, The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld is a must read, must buy and must keep for in this gem of a book are the wittiest and wisest phrases that have been uttered on the Disc from Ankh-Morpok to the Agatean Empire.

In fact, I really wanted to give the book a solid five stars if not for one niggling thought that kept crossing my mind while savoring the words on the pages. Taken out of context, many of the wit and wisdom compiled here just aren't as funny or poignant. While I really appreciate having most of my favorite bits in one single volume and reading the book felt very much like visiting an old friend, the humor and sheer genius of many of the Disc's best lines are best enjoyed when they're grounded in the socio-political context of each individual book in the series. Likewise, some favorite phrases and moments did not make the final cut.

Nevertheless, The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld nicely complements any Discworld collection and it could potentially be a good starting point for introducing new travelers to the Disc.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of my favorite parts of all the Discworld books can be found in this book. The instant I saw it in Barnes & Noble I bought, without ever having read it before. I promptly went home and read the whole thing. I love this book. If you haven't read the actual books that this culmination of quotes comes from, I suggest you go do so before reading this book, however. That way you won't be confused.

[Monkey of Doom · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you go wrong with a book full of Discworld quotes?

[Louise Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars every day of the week. Wonderful to have bite sized snippets from most of the books.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is okay, I guess, but it’s also kind of lazy and a little weird. Basically, Stephen Briggs (one of Pratchett’s frequent collaborators) went through all of the Discworld books and compiled some of his favourite quotes together into this overall collection.

And so because of all that, this is basically just like reading spark notes on each of the Discworld books in order, and so I wouldn’t recommend picking this up until you’ve finished reading the series unless you don’t mind spoilers.

It also has the same problem that The Discworld Companion had in which it’s essentially just like a reference book. The problem is that I can’t consider a reference book as read until I’ve gone through it from cover to cover. That means that while Briggs says that the book is designed to be dipped into at random, I read it from cover to cover.

The content itself is great of course, but that’s because it’s Terry Pratchett and Pratchett is fantastic. This was always going to be a pretty good read, and I did still enjoy it despite only giving it a 3/5. It’s just that I’m not really sure why it exists, except perhaps either to make money or to satiate a demand from the hordes of rabid Pratchett fans who are gutted that there are no more Discworld books coming.

I feel as though the truth is probably a combination of the two, and that’s just fine I guess. And if the goal was to make me want to hurry up and get back to reading Discworld, well I guess that the mission was accomplished. Alas, I just don’t have the time anymore.

[mysilicielka · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Humor i mądrość Świata Dysku" to książka, która powstała sama. Każdy z fanów Pratchetta podświadomie jej potrzebował i PUF! oto jest*. Pozycja składa się z samych cytatów ze wszystkich książek uniwersum, które wydano do 2007 roku (czyli brakuje 5 ostatnich). Nie wszystkie są uniwersalnymi mądrościami, autor powiedziałby pewnie, że większość to głupoty, ale na pewno każdy przywoła w czytelniku miłe wspomnienie.

Wiadomo, że Pratchett cytatami stoi, to właśnie cięty humor i błyskotliwość zapewniły mu międzynarodowy sukces. Oczywiście brakuje tu paru świetnych (wg mnie) fragmentów, ale tak jak zauważono we wstępie, gdyby każdy miał wpisać cytat, który zasługuje na wyróżnienie, to równie dobrze moglibyśmy cały Świat Dysku przepasać wstążką.

Książkę najlepiej trzymać w apteczce za szybką z napisem "zbić w razie potrzeby". Jeżeli kiedykolwiek najdzie cię sentyment i będziesz potrzebował obecności starych znajomych z Dysku, otwórz "Humor i mądrość..." i poczytaj. Idealna opcja dla fanów chcących przeżyć to jeszcze raz, ale nie mających za dużo czasu na czytanie całej powieści.

---
*Podkolorowana prawda jest zawsze ciekawsza od tej zwykłej.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selected by Stephen Briggs, this book of quotes is like getting somebody else's selection of anything: by turns delightful and disappointing. Some good quotes. Missing some of my favorites. But always good to dip into the Discworld of Terry Pratchett. It does a good job of making me want to reread some of the books immediately, so there it's a success. Because it was published in 2007, it's missing any quotes from the last five books.
Interesting, but I'd rather read the books and find my own favorites.

[Davidg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I have read and enjoyed all the Discworld books, I have generally found them amusing rather than laugh out loud funny. I have particularly enjoyed the satire that became stronger as the series progressed. So, this collection of one line jokes, paragraphs and short passages served as a reminder of the humour they contain. It also encourages you to go back to the full books again.

Great for dipping into.

[Lisa Galvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Sir Terry Pratchett this book is a nice little compilation of witty and thoughtful remarks from many Discworld novels ("The Color of Magic" through "Making Money"). The selection of quotes never fails to bring a chuckle or rile up the old think box. It's a good way to reminsce past reading experiences or introduce someone new to the wonders of the Discworld atop the great A'Tuin.

[Roger Hankey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Discworld books and have read them all. I have also read the Science of Discworld that are serious/informative and discuss serious topics.

I enjoyed 'Wit and Wisdom' as it reminded me of each of the books in turn AND drew out /highlighted so of the witty and sometimes overlooked 'wisdom'.

I wouldn't recommend the book over reading the real thing nor the Science of Discworld but if you are a Pratchett fan it is worth it as a reminder.

[Benj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite clever and quite fun (mainly because Terry Pratchett was very clever and very funny) but not something you can read straight through - perhaps nice to dip in occasionally.

Although TP is listed as the author (and he did write every word) the compilation was by Stephen Briggs, so I feel that it was more his book.