The story behind Seldes' gathering up these quotes and ideas, malaprops and famous last words are as interesting as the quotes themselves. After a glorious career as a world renown journalist and essayist, at age 70 he began to cull the ideas that helped shape Western Civilization. That beginning was in 1960. He forwarded the finished document to the publisher in 1984. He was ninty-four at the time. And the work became one of the best selling books of it's kind ever. The editors had to step in to pare down the number of pages he had of Freud passages from 40 pages to 20. Seldes could not easily part with some of the Freud citations. Editors have a raison d'etre, afterall. Aldous Huxley forwarded the idea that civilization's grand pronouncements and great ideas could be tempered by some grand pronouncements and not so great ideas--so, along side Emerson and Mandela in Seldes work, one may find Hitler and Castro. Shakespeare and the Bible were avoided as references...far too many quotes the author has noted. Plus, there are concordances of each which can give the reader a more thorough coverage than what Seldes can offer.I have always been able to open the book up anywhere and read some thought provoking idea. That's why I enjoy it so much: it's good for the casual browser. Also, it acts as an appetite whettor to those who are exposed to, say, the 3 or 4 citations from Nietsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra and feel as if they wish to read more. My advice, overall, to those who will listen has always been--"Open your mind. Open a book and read". This volume of The Great Thoughts will help you enjoy your journey.