Phrased and Confused
The World's Great Quotations and What They (Really) Mean
Eli Burnstein author Liana Finck illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Profile Books Ltd
Publishing:1st Oct '26
£14.99
This title is due to be published on 1st October, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Following Dictionary of Fine Distinctions, a stocking filler and witty guide to humanity's most iconic - and misunderstood - quotes
'Brilliant, revelatory and erudite. Like all the best books it lets you see the familiar world in a new way' Mark Forsyth, author of The Etymologicon 'Enlightening' Steven Pinker Hell is other people. You are what you eat. Ignorance is bliss. Or is it? We read them, perhaps give a knowing chuckle, and move on with next to no thought. But what do these timeless and iconic quotations really mean? Thankfully, language and philosophy obsessive Eli Burnstein is on hand to unpack forty-five of humanity's most iconic statements with lightness and wit. From Aristotle to Hannah Arendt, William Blake to Simone de Beauvoir, each delightfully illustrated entry will improve your grasp of the meaning behind their riddlesome words, and deepen your appreciation for the big ideas they stand for.
Brilliant, revelatory and erudite. Like all the best books it lets you see the familiar world in a new way -- Mark Forsyth, author of THE ETYMOLOGICON
An enjoyable corrective to the clichéd interpretation of clichés, enlightening because Burnstein does not just debunk but explains their contexts and nuances of interpretation -- Steven Pinker
A superbly acute and enjoyable cracking of important nutshells -- Anthony Gottlieb, author of LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN
This book is more than a delightful romp; it's a liberal education. I devoured it voraciously . . . Burnstein makes big ideas swing on the page -- Jim Holt, author of WHY DOES THE WORLD EXIST?
An irresistible celebration of language, insight, and the pleasure of finally understanding what we thought we already knew -- Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of THE MATTERING INSTINCT
Smart, witty, and charmingly illustrated . . . a treat for anyone curious about why we say the things we do -- Martha Barnette, co-host of A Way with Words
Erudite fun for the curious and the literate . . . A book to share and graze on -- William Deresiewicz, author of EXCELLENT SHEEP
ISBN: 9781805226994
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
224 pages
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