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The Last Word: A Treasury of Women's Quotes
Presents a collection of quotations by women on such subjects as life, ability, courage, equality, freedom, happiness, success, philosophy, and men
363 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 4, 2015
I usually enjoy quote books, but something about this collection grated on me. I found this at John K. King bookstore in downtown Detroit (aka the largest bookstore in Michigan and my favorite place ever. If you're ever downtown, I would seriously check it out. It has four floors!), or more accurately my best friend G found it and pointed it out to me. It had such promise, and yet... Okay, here are my problems with The Last Word.
1. For some odd reason, Carolyn Warner assumes that whoever is reading this collection of quotes is giving a speech even though that is not mentioned anywhere in the book's description or title. She also gives unnecessary introductions to each category with unwanted advice on public speaking. I found this extremely irritating.
2. Though the categories themselves are well-organized, the citations are a little lacking. Instead of giving you information about the person said that quote by their name, there is an index at the back of the book that lists background information. The index is annoying, but what frustrated me is that the index isn't organized by category like the quotes. Instead, it is organized alphabetically, making it almost impossible to find what you're looking for.
3. The quotes are not well-sourced or even sourced at all. It lists Marie-Antionette as saying, "Let them eat cake", which virtually every historian has agreed she never said. It made me question the credibility of the whole collection. There is just no sourcing here, and if I'm going to quote someone I'd like to make sure I'm quoting them right.
Overall, I think I can do better and so can you. Don't get your quote fix here!
1. For some odd reason, Carolyn Warner assumes that whoever is reading this collection of quotes is giving a speech even though that is not mentioned anywhere in the book's description or title. She also gives unnecessary introductions to each category with unwanted advice on public speaking. I found this extremely irritating.
2. Though the categories themselves are well-organized, the citations are a little lacking. Instead of giving you information about the person said that quote by their name, there is an index at the back of the book that lists background information. The index is annoying, but what frustrated me is that the index isn't organized by category like the quotes. Instead, it is organized alphabetically, making it almost impossible to find what you're looking for.
3. The quotes are not well-sourced or even sourced at all. It lists Marie-Antionette as saying, "Let them eat cake", which virtually every historian has agreed she never said. It made me question the credibility of the whole collection. There is just no sourcing here, and if I'm going to quote someone I'd like to make sure I'm quoting them right.
Overall, I think I can do better and so can you. Don't get your quote fix here!
March 4, 2012
I'm afraid there is no finish date for this book, not for me. I love returning to it when I'm seeking…something I can't quite put into words. It rarely fails to inspire me.
It's dogeared, bookmarked with fanned pages and probably a coffee stain or two. Even my husband has read it.
It's dogeared, bookmarked with fanned pages and probably a coffee stain or two. Even my husband has read it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews