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From Writing that Works February, 2003
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WriteWorks Resource Center —

Each month, we point the way to the best online and off- collections of wordsmith goodies, such as anecdotes, jokes, grammar help, quotations and more, to improve your speech or written communication, culled from our editors' research.


Books on Quotations for Business Users

Ric Moxley

 

While online search engines can be useful for quickly finding a quote topically or based on a specific word, some of the finest gems are hiding precisely where you are not looking. Sometimes, the best way to be surprised by a life changing quote is to stumble upon it as you casually peruse a book. Here are some good ones for that purpose. Kick off your shoes, find a good recliner, make a nice cup of hot tea, and open one of these . . .

 

Quotable Business : Over 2,800 Funny, Irreverent, and Insightful Quotations About Corporate Life
A laborious title, to be sure. Get past that though and you find a wealth of useful quotes for the business place, such as “If no one ever took risks, Michelangelo would have painted on the Sistine floor.”  — Neil Simon.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature (17th Edition)
An equally laborious title. While
Bartlett’s is perhaps one of the most well-known sources for quotations, I find it takes more work to find quotes that are truly useful for business usage, particularly for speeches. Many of the quotes come from sources of old, using language structure that your audience is likely to find confusing. But don’t give up – there are plenty of usable quotes here.

The Book of Positive Quotations
Compiler John Cook focuses on uplifting and inspiring words of wit and wisdom from the classical to the contemporary. To quote Zig Zigler, this book is “a valuable tool for anyone who writes or speaks.” I agree.

 

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