Famous quotes
Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Books and reading
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“The book is one of the springs of creative individualism, that individualism which, in these uncertain times, remains the guardian angel of human society. For five hundred years the book has been, for the solitary mind, an incomparable instrument of uplift and liberation.”
Georges Duhamel (1884–1966) said by 1966 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Keeping a book on macroeconomics up to date is a challenging and neverending task. The field is continually evolving, as new events and research lead to doubts about old views and the emergence of new ideas, models, and tests. The result is that each edition of this book is very different from the one before. This is truer of this revision than any previous one.”
David Romer (born 1958) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Advanced macroeconomics 4th ed. (2011), "Preface to the Fourth Edition
“The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata … Krishna goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and self-destructive behaviors such as war…. The Gita is a dishonest book …”
Wendy Doniger O'Flaherty (born 1940) first seen 2000 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Wendy Doniger, Quoted in Philadelphia Inquirer, 19 November, 2000. Quoted in Antonio de Nicolas, Krishnan Ramaswamy, and Aditi Banerjee (eds.) (2007), Invading the Sacred: An Analysis Of Hinduism Studies In America (Pub…
“Firms that have a high BE/ME (a low stock price relative to book value) tend to have low earnings on assets. Conversely, low BE/ME (a high stock price relative to book value) is associated with persistently high earnings.”
Eugene Fama (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This book is even more important than Breaking India because today’s ‘Breaking India forces 2.0’, as this book refers to them, are operating behind the scenes. They can only be understood upon careful and incisive investigation into their activities.”
Rajiv Malhotra (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The sixth edition [of the Moral Sentiments] includes a whole new part, on the character of virtue, and some drastic revision elsewhere. My co-editor of the work, the late Professor A. L. Macfie, was apt to say in consequence that the sixth edition is a different book. That is an exaggeration, but the sixth edition is certainly a much altered book.”
D. D. Raphael (1916–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'm currently working on a book that will be published by the Kindai Yumei Company. I haven't chosen a title yet, but the book will be about Godzilla-do, which really isn't all that different from some aspects of kendo and judo.”
Kenpachiro Satsuma (1947–2023) first seen 1995 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)
“In 1931, under the title "Onward Industry," Messrs. James D. Mooney and Alan C. Reiley published a full-length book examining the comparative principles of organization as displayed historically in governmental, ecclesiastical, military and business structures... Their book constitutes the first serious attempt to deal with the subject comparatively and synoptically.”
Lyndall Urwick (1891–1983) said by 1983 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The publication of the book, Corporate Strategy, by H. Igor Ansoff was a major event in the 1965 world of management. As early as it came in this literature, the book represented a kind of crescendo in the development of strategic planning theory, offering a degree of elaboration seldom attempted since.”
Igor Ansoff (1918–2002) first seen 1994 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Henry Mintzberg (1994), The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, Prentice Hall, Hemel Hempstead. p. 43
“Without criticising the liberal model, we cannot repair its faults or go beyond it. But please note that this book could have been written only when people are still relatively free to think what they like and to express themselves as they wish. If you value this book, you should also value the freedom of expression.”
Yuval Noah Harari (born 1976) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Carry when walking a book, and a note-book to preserve the ideas, and a piece of bread in order to prolong the walk if need be.”
Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (1796–1832) said by 1832 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I pressed play then came a long way from the Mac Book / I heard Raginder on “A.D.H.D.” then scribbled him down in my black book / Thinking one day he’d collaborate with a no name, named Marcus O / with one goal, sign Violinder so then he’ll call my imprint home.”
Marcus Orelias (born 1993) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Claiming that a holy book’s claims are undeniable because the book itself claims them to be is convincing only to the convinced.”
John Allen Paulos (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'm not making any progress with the book that you were so kind to lend me [about techniques of etching]; the desire to study tie facts for etching from a book does not exist with me.. ..if you would rather give me some lessons, so that I can get some information, I will be glad..[which happened February / March 1891] (translation from original Dutch, Fons Heijnsbroek, 2018)”
Suze Robertson (1855–1922) first seen 1891 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: (version in original Dutch / origineel citaat van Suze Robertson's brief:) Met het boek welk U zoo vriendelijk waart mij ter leen te geven [boek over de techniek van het etsen] schiet ik niet hard op; de lust om de gege…
“Writing this book was the first time I thought deeply about the lessons I'd derived from the SEAL teams, and life in general. It is quite the challenge to examine your own attributes, your failings, and then attempt to extract the lessons from your past that make you who you are today. This book is largely a product of that journey.”
Dan Crenshaw (born 1984) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I never taught of book burning, no matter how they were silly, mendacious or propaganda-like because I guide myself by the principle that every book burning was just an introduction to burning (of people) at the stake.”
Ivica Šola (born 1968) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in column "O Bleiburgu i Titu očito može i bez fusnota: pa nećemo se valjda zamarati tamo nekim izvorima" in Slobodna Dalmacija, 4th April 2019.
“Since in this book certain familiar words are used in a special sense and certain ideas unfamiliar to most. Western readers are presented, this first Chapter consists of a definition of terms and a brief exposition of the philosophic basis upon which the book is founded.”
Geoffrey Hodson (1886–1983) said by 1983 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think, consciously or not, what we readers do each time we open a book is to set off on a search for authenticity. We want to get closer to the heart of things, and sometimes even a few good sentences contained in an otherwise unexceptional book can crystallize vague feelings, fleeting physical sensations, or, sometimes, profound epiphanies.”
Maureen Corrigan (born 1955) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I visualized the book as a string of beads. Each anecdote, each character, was a separate bead strung on one string. That is why I wanted to close the book where it began, as if one had fastened the clasp of a necklace. I also wanted to show that life goes in a circle, that events are intertwined, and that history repeats itself. There is no beginning and no end.”
Isabel Allende (born 1942) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you should ever doubt that a series of dry words in a government document can shatter spirits and demolish lives, let this book (The Night Watchman) erase that doubt. Conversely, if you should be of the conviction that we are powerless to change those dry words, let this book give you heart.”
Louise Erdrich (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(I recommend over and over again:) The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. I am far from the first to recommend this book but that is because it’s so extraordinary. A pure masterclass of narrative nonfiction that exists at the pinnacle of the genre. It is the book that a historical phenomenon as important as The Great Migration deserves.”
Isabel Wilkerson (born 1961) first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Clint Smith (writer) interview (2023)
“I think the essence of the book would really be, it doesn't hurt to try. You know, I think that's been my motto forever. And I think it's done me very well. And I think the joy in the book is a big thing, because I think we live a lot of our lives without joy. And I think loving what you're doing while you're doing it is really important.”
Veronica Chambers (born 1970) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On what she hopes readers take away from her book A Girl's Guide to Love, Life and Foolish Bravery in “Veronica Chambers: 'The Joy of Doing Things Badly'” in NPR (2006 May 11)
“The world of the favela today is much more cruel than when I was growing up there or even as I show it in my book…If I were to write about the way things are today, I would start the book with a pile of rubber tires, gasoline and someone being burned alive.”
Paulo Lins (born 1958) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how the favela has changed since his time in “THE SATURDAY PROFILE; Out of the Slums of Rio, an Author Finds Fame” in The New York Times (2003 Apr 26)
“And later he burnt the book and I think by that time this urge to write had become more important to me than he realized, and that was the day I said, ‘I’m going to leave this marriage’ and he said “What for, that stupid book?’ and I said, “I just feel you just burned my child.”
Buchi Emecheta (1944–2017) said by 2017 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I wanted the book to inhabit quieter moments, and to be about these smaller interactions that reflect the way life often is. A tidy, definitive ending wouldn’t have been right for this book or the people in it; I wanted to leave the suggestion that life goes on, for all of these characters, even after the last page.”
Rachel Khong (born 1985) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One of the most defining teachings of the Bailey writings is that on the five initiations, given in her first book, Initiation, Human and Solar, (1922), used throughout her writings, and given its final elaboration in her last book, The Rays and the Initiations, (1960)”
David Reigle (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I never really see a book in the context of what went before because when I finish a book I try to press the delete button so that it’s wiped off the hard drive…”
Caryl Phillips (born 1958) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On pushing a book that he’s published out of his mind so that he may start a new one in “YORKSHIRE CALLING: AN INTERVIEW WITH CARYL PHILLIPS” in Public Books (2015 May 1)
“Writing a book is so strange. You start off in one spot and end up in another. But I think when I first set out to write the book, there was a certain element of trying to right historical wrongs I saw as a voracious reader and representation of immigrants and children of immigrants…”
Uzma Jalaluddin (born 1979) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On what led her to write Ayesha At Last in “Interviews with authors at EMWF: Uzma Jalaluddin” in The Ontarion (2018 Sep 13)
“When you write your first book, you get to write it in a bit of a bubble. You don’t know if it will be published, as much as you hope and wish for it, you don’t really know that. It’s kind of a safer place to write. And then when you write the second book, you’re aware of readership, you’re aware of views, of an audience out there, of expectations, and it’s more work to shut that down.”
Ayelet Tsabari (born 1973) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I know the world does not need another book from me, but I have nothing else to do with myself. I have no hobbies. So then I feel guilty when I say to my agent, ‘I seem to have another book ready if you want to take a look at it…’”
Anne Tyler (born 1941) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On her writing process in “Anne Tyler: 'Up close you’ll always see things to be optimistic about'” in The Guardian (2020 Apr 11)
“People don't know... They... are so fascinated by what's going on in the White House, they're not paying attention to what matters. ...[T]he reason I hope every single one of you reads my book (and if you can't afford to buy the book, it's in the library...) is that people need to know this or we will not get change.”
David Cay Johnston (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was more than happy to do [Hellblazer] as I ended up not being that happy on Animal Man, as it wasn't the book for me. Because I hate drawing animals, so it was rather silly of me in the first place to say yes. But it was the first offer of a regular (ongoing) comic book, which, for me, was a big thing.”
Steve Dillon (1962–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I used to think life was like a book: you turn the first page, and there’s the next, as you go on turning page after page, eventually you reach the last one. But life is nothing like a story in a book. There may be words, and the pages may be numbered, but there is no plot. There may be an ending, but there is no end.”
Miri Yu (born 1968) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "A Ghost Haunts the Tokyo Olympics" in Electric Literature (24 July 2020)
“..In this book, to sort out the whole situation as simply as we can. We will endeavour to produce a guide book to progress for those of us who accept this new challenge of adulthood... we will outline the picture of past and present trends of human development.”
Vera Stanley Alder (1898–1984) said by 1984 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“So take these broken wings and learn to fly again, learn to live so free And when we hear the voices sing the book of love will open up for us and let us in Take these broken wings You got to learn to fly again, got to learn to live so free And when we hear the voices sing the book of love will open up and let us in Yeah, yeah”
John Miles (1949–2021) first seen 1985 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Broken Wings" (song, 1985, by American pop rock band Mr. Mister)
“When people ask me for a book recommendation - just one book - this is the one I recommend. Until We Reckon (by Danielle Sered) has been such an incredible resource.”
Tiffany Cabán (born 1988) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: March 9, 2021 on Twitter
“# Some people said that I should write a book,I don't think I will never write a book, mainly I don't want to hurt anybody, hurting in the sense that, there are certain people that I cannot resist abusing, but that hasn't to do with the children and grandchildren, so I don't want to hurt their children and grandchildren,so for the sake of their children and grandchildren, I have left them.”
Muhammadu Buhari (1942–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“She wrote very selectively of the Peponi she remembered, emphasizing those aspects that she found praiseworthy and ignoring the less savory events of her life. As Hardwycke had put it during one of our conversations, every line of the book was true, but the book itself was one big lie.”
Mike Resnick (1942–2020) said by 2020 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Modern art culture needs the artist's book. Unfortunately, those art direction can be promoted only by artistic enthusiasts. It should be the publishers who understand that the artist’s book is also an act of self-expression.”
Alexander Borovsky (born 1952) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Alexander Borovsky Invitation to the Artist’s Book / City as Artist's subjectivity. Artist's book project. Catalog. (Rus & En) — SPb: Ed. T. Markova. 2020. — 128 p. — P. 29.
“I just turned forty-two. I've been selfish. I've been an asshole. I've made mistakes and I've been all too human. Twelve years ago this book would have been about how spectacular I am. That book would have sucked ass. Yeah it would have had its moments, but the last dozen years have been marred with failure and loss and gifted with growth, reflection, and hopefully, a little wisdom.”
Tim Kennedy (fighter) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is what it is. It was a book and it told a story that was sad, and deep, and painful. This book is telling a different story. It’s telling of how I can live the best life that I can when I wasn’t really wanted, in a way. Maybe I was wanted by a fan base because of my work, but I didn’t feel that I was ultimately wanted by my own parents, which was a weird feeling.”
Tatum O'Neal (born 1963) first seen 2011 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Tatum talk about her book in 2011.
“The truth of the matter is that we are no longer together. Our journey ended. That is all I can say for now but I will write a book and give more details on the matter. I will inform you when the book is out .”
Aurore Mutesi Kayiranga (born 1990) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: https://www.ktpress.rw/2021/02/it-is-over-miss-rwanda-2012-aurore-mutesi-kayibanda-confirms-breakup/ ( KT Press , February 22, 2021 )
“What I hope is that this book will also open a dialogue with the rabbonim. Well, maybe not the rabbonim, but with members of the Jewish community-at-large. I'd like them to shep naches from our contributions to Jewish life. I'd like to hear them say "mazel tov" instead of "oy gevald" when they see we've made a book of our own.”
Evelyn Torton Beck (born 1933) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And for all the boys and girls | who defend a book, a real book, | so beautiful to shout in the squares | because they are killing our thoughts. (from Call me again love, n. 1)”
Roberto Vecchioni (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You enter a book like a train, with a few glances behind you, with some hesitation and with the boredom of changing places and ideas. How will the trip go? What will the book be like? (February 15, C.E.1890; Vergani, p. 33)”
Jules Renard (1864–1910) said by 1910 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Lakiriboto in Yoruba means a woman who cannot be ‘mounted’. It is many layered. As with many words that are from traditional Yoruba world, many people misunderstand it. I chose the title because the book is about women who refuse to be mounted or controlled by the society. The book is about women who take charge of their sexuality, their finances and fates.”
Ayodele Olofintuade wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A detailed description of Suhaldev is found in Mirat-i-Masudi , a historical biography on Ghaznavid general Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud. The book was written in Persian by Abd-ur-Rahman Chishti in the 17th century. Chishti wrote the historical drama based on the book Tawarikh-i-Mahmudiwritten by Mulla Muhammad Ghaznavi, who belonged to the court of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.”
Suhaldev (995–1050) said by 1050 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Rawal M. S. & Rawal Y. S. (2019). Saffron swords. Garuda Prakashan.
“I thought of it as a man's book. I have no idea why women like it, too. The book is an ironic commentary on romantic love. The whole concept of romantic love for women is very phony. They really don't want to be considered delicate vessels any more.”
Mario Puzo (1920–1999) first seen 1970 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The first interview he granted after the publication of The Godfather, quoted in Jacquin Sanders, 'Mario Puzo: Author of ‘The Godfather’', The News-Herald (March 18, 1970), p. 25
“The title of this book tells the reader the reason for publishing it…. The aim is, as it were, to prepare the reader to seek to answer the question which constitutes the main title of the book”
Obaro Ikime (1936–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The book contains Rose Chibambo’s story in her own words. But that is not all. The book also contextualises that story by giving information about that particular historic period”
Rose Chibambo (1928–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From the grave, Rose Chibambo speaksThe Nation(December 13, 2019)