Sunbeams, Revised Edition: A Book of Quotations

by Sy Safransky (Editor)

The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable not knowing what comes next” (Ursula K. Le Guin). “Life must be lived forwards, but can only be understood backwards” (Søren Kierkegaard). “When they tell you to grow up, they mean stop growing” (Tom Robbins). If brevity is the soul of wit, it may also be the soul of wisdom, as these short sharp nuggets from Sunbeams suggest.
 
Derived from The Sun, the eminent monthly national literary magazine with a loyal readership of 70,000 people , Sunbeams features a selection of quotations for the aficionado of the form, the fan of the magazine, and anyone looking for an instant reminder of the beauty, power, and sheer complexity of the human spirit. Avoiding the familiar, the book contains pithy thoughts from a diverse group that includes James Baldwin, Mother Teresa, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rumi, and Victor Frankl, who survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Provocative and uplifting, the book respects both the glory and the heartache of being human.

Genres: Reference, Spirituality, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 1993

Reviews

[Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fantastic wisdom from some of the greatest thinkers, artists, and writers in history. Some quotes are familiar to the average reader, some are obscure, but at least most of them are definitely worth taking to heart. (I say "most" because I didn't agree with some of them observations made in the quotes, and rolled my eyes at them; also, some of the quotes don't make much sense out of context.)

Not too shabby for a book the library gave away for free. For a collection of quotes, it exceeded my expectations.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sy Safransky has a genius for stream-of-consciousness quotations. This book is collected from The Sun magazine, which still includes a full page of quotations each month--a favorite part of the magazine.

This is a cherished part of my library, I have several books of quotations and this is one of the very best.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the quotes in this book. I've had it forever.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource for pointing challenging moments in prospective.

[Rico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep this on my nightstand and have read it at least ten times. Nuggests of wisdom and epiphanies that let me sleep more peacefully.