Books Famous Quotes

“We disagreed on the scope of our disagreements, the nature of our disagreements, and the reasons for our disagreements.  Everything was contestable, whether it was the cause of climate change or the fact of climate change, the size of the deficit or the culprits to blame for the deficit.”

Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope – Thoughts of Reclaiming the American Dream, Canongate

“It was the missionaries who confused the people with their new religion.  They scared our people with stories of hell.  They painted their God as a demanding God who wanted worship ‘or else’.  People had to discard their clothes and their customs in order in order to be accepted in this new religion.”

Steve Biko, I write What I Like, Picador Africa

“Right from the start it was a journey towards a quest, a search for myself.  Wanting to teach in Nigeria grew also into an overwhelming desire to understand Africa outside the Southern African enclave.  Such is the tragedy of life in this country that, being black – and by derivation white – has also meant growing up pathetically ignorant about each other, not to mention greater Africa, which gives it its physical existence.”

Es’kia Mphahlele, Es’kia, Kwela Books in association with Stainbank & Associates

“Is it spectacular landscapes, majestic mountains, iridescent bays, waterfalls, coquettish lakes, pretty islands that travellers think they can do without?  Of course, natural beauty and famous views are abundant in Italy.  Such things, however, are not unknown elsewhere.  Nature is usually more inspiring even in the United Sates, wherever man has not meddled with it.”

Luigi Barzini, The Italians, Readers Union Hamish Hamilton

“My brothers, the Indians must always be remembered in this land.  Out of our languages we have given names to many beautiful things which will always speak of us.  Minehaha will laugh of us, Seneca will shine in our image, Mississippi will murmur our woes.  The broad Iowa and the rolling Dakota and fertile Michigan will whisper our names to the sun that kisses them. The roaring Niagara, the sighing Illinois, the singing Delaware, will chant unceasingly our Dta-wa-e (Death Song).

KHE-THA-A-HI, The People – Native American Thoughts and Feelings.

“I learned early in my professional life that there is no substitute for organization in the preparation of a speech.  Once one decides on the specific purpose of his/her speech, then it is important to organize the speech into certain main ideas or principal divisions that will enable the speaker to achieve his/her objectives.”

Dr. Frank W. Hale Jr., Angels Watching Over Me, James C. Winston Publishing Company Inc.