Quotations For Public Speakers

Whether you are making a business presentation to a new client, speaking at a Little League banquet, or proposing a wedding toast, finding the right words with which to express yourself can be difficult. Even Mark Twain said, "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." U.S. Senator Robert G. Torricelli has compiled a superlative anthology of more than two thousand quotations from nearly one thousand authors, selected to enhance your public speaking. Arranged under 50 categories and indexed by author, Quotations for Public Speakers is an easy-to-use reference guide you'll find yourself turning to time and again for creative and inspirational ways to express yourself and engage your audience. Speakers vary from Albert Einstein ("Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.") to Wilt Chamberlain ("Nobody roots for Goliath."); from Ana s Nin ("Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.") to Lena Horne ("You have to be taught second class; you're not born that way."); from Aristotle ("Liars, when they speak the truth are not believed.") to Aldous Huxley ("Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead."); from Barbra Streisand ("Art does not exist only to entertain, but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, in a constant search for truth.") to Woody Allen ("It's very hard to get your heart and head together in life. In my case, they're not even friendly."). The scope of topics ranges from youth ("Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives," -- Maya Angelou) to old age ("I'm at an age where my back goes out more than I do,"-- Phyllis Diller); from justice ("Justice is truth in action," -- Benjamin Disraeli) to racism ("For racism to die, a totally different America must be born," -- Stokely Carmichael); from religion ("God's in his Heaven -- all's right with the world " -- Robert Browning) to science ("We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology," -- Carl Sagan); from war ("War is evil, but often the lesser evil," -- George Orwell) to love ("There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved." -- George Sand) Practical, enjoyable, and stimulating, this is a collection for every public speaker trying to inform and entertain.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813528895
• ISBN13: 9780813528892
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Good book because...

This book has one thing that very few quotation books have...more information after it states who stated the quotation. Because what I have found is that most of the times when you read a quotation book, you tend to not know who the person is who stated the quote in the first place. For example, there could be a quote such as, "Racism should not be an excuse to not do the best you can in life." by Malcolm X, (the name of his book), (year), writer. Most of the time, quotations will just have the quoter's name and that's it. This book is definitely more insiteful.

Easy reference - good material

There are good points and bad points with this book. One of the negative things I noticed is that it has plenty of white space in each section, where more quotes could have been added. It does make it easier to read, but when you're someone who has to give speeches on a regular basis, your search for the perfect quotation may not come to fruition. However, out of all the quotes the book possesses, the material is excellent and very usable. Another downside is that the book is a little pricier as compared with other quotation books on the market. You may be able to find one for the same price that has double, or even triple the amount of quotations.The book is broken down into categories; from Leadership, Environment, to Presidents. The categories are very high level, so if your looking for a specific category, you may not find it. Out of the last 3 speeches I've given, I've used 2 quotes from this book. All and all, it's a good book... Out of all the quotation books I browsed through at the bookstore, this one took the prize. Besides all the negative points I mentioned, I have no regrets for purchasing this book. It's simplicity and ease of navigation definitely makes it a great addition to any speaker's library.

A great book to own ...

Senator Torricelli's book is a rare find - a very well thought out book that covers a wide expanse of quotations from hundreds of people. The book is presented by categories (life, liberty, etc.) in a simple manner that makes it easy for anyone to use. It is an excellent reference tool for writing and speech preparation - and would make an great gift to anyone who loves history or politics!

Quotations for Public Speakers

Senator Torricelli has garnered a remarkable anthology of quotations from a broad range of topics. Each topic, from justice to the media, is valuable and matters in today's neoteric society. He has arranged them in a style that is simple and efficient. All this makes "Quotations for Public Speakers" a delightful reading for everyone and anyone. However, this book is most effective for use in presentations. One can find quotes to vitalize or add emphasis to any speech. It is a very worthy addition to any library.

Power and Organization

Bob Torricelli, Senator from New Jersey, was a junior member of Vice President Walter Mondale's staff. The day came when all the speechwriters were elsewhere engaged, and Torricelli was drafted to write a speach for the VP. He was handed a fat binder of material to start from. This book is a descendent of that collection.Torricelli learned that quotes for public speaking needed to be instantly understood - you can't go back and reread a quotation when you are listening to a speech. So quotes for public speaking need to be clear in both vocabulary and structure, which has guided his choice of entries.Under pressure to write a speech, you need to be able to find the right one, so he has organized this volume in 50 categories, from Action to Youth, including Courage, Family, Patriotism, Peace, Poverty, and War. It's a very well organized volume.I have over 10,000 quotes on Quotes of the Day (www.qotd.org), I have Bartlett's (three editions), but this is currently my favorite.