Uncommon times call for uncommon wisdom. It's inspiring to hear from people who've graduated from the school of hard knocks, yet kept a sense of humor. People like Twain, Voltaire, Oscar Wilde. People who've said the thing so well that we all wish we'd said it. People who've been there, done that, and refuse to sugarcoat what they've learned. People who know, as Sherry Hochman puts it, that "Every day is a gift-even if it sucks."
From Kathryn and Ross Petras, curators of craziness (and surprising smarts), comes a timely collection of reassuring reality:
"Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?"-John Barrymore
"October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February." -Mark Twain
"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much."-Mother Teresa
"When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."-Dylan Thomas
"If you think you have it tough, read history books."-Bill Maher
And Voltaire: "Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats."
Kathryn Petras is an author and quote connoisseur who, along with her brother, Ross Petras, has published numerous quote collections including Age Doesn't Matter Unless You're a Cheese. The Petras's calendar, The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said, has sold over 4.6 million copies. Kathryn lives with her family in Seattle.
Ross Petras is an author and quote connoisseur who, along with his sister, Kathryn Petras, has published numerous quote collections including Age Doesn'tMatter Unless You're a Cheese. The Petras's calendar, The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said, has sold over 4.6 million copies. Ross lives with his family in Toronto. "The first rule of holes: when you're in one, stop digging." -Molly Ivins, Writer
"Some days you're a bug. Some days you're a windshield." -Price Cobb, Race Car Driver
"In times like these it is good to remember there have always been times like these." -Paul Harvey, Radio Broadcaster
When life hands you lemons, it's inspiring to hear from people who've made (and drunk) the lemonade. People who've been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. Who've graduated from the school of hard knocks and never lost their sense of humor. People like Mark Twain, Warren Buffett, Marlene Dietrich, Natalie Goldberg, Amarillo Slim, Fran Lebowitz, Michael Jordan. People who know, as the writer Sherry Hochman puts it, that "Every day is a gift-even if it sucks."
