authors

The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation with the noblest men of past centuries who were the authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.

"At last, psychology gets serious about glee, fun, and happiness. Martin Seligman has given us a gift--a practical map for the perennial quest for a flourishing life."

~ Daniel Goleman, author of "Emotional Intelligence," commenting on "Authentic Happiness" by Martin Seligman

To be authentic literally means to be your own author.

It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is an admirable work, and I studied it intently. The quotations when engraved upon the memory give you good thoughts. They also make you anxious to read the authors and look for more.

There is a good saying to the effect that when a new book appears one should read an old one. As as author I would not recommend too strict an adherence to this saying.

The two most engaging powers of an author are t' make new things familiar and familiar things new.

Could he with reason murmur at his case, Himself sole author of his own disgrace?

Surely it was time someone invented a new plot, or that the author came out from the bushes.

God does nothing vain. When He gives a power, it is for a purpose, it is that it may reach an end. Now what I argue is this: Since He has put in my soul a germ that can grow to eternity, He means that it shall grow to eternity. -Author Unknown

In order to carry any amount of weight, it seems that a quotation must be from an author of national or universal importance. Nevertheless, one often finds, hidden away in an obscure paragraph in a newspaper or magazine a gem of wisdom that deserves much greater prominence.