Smooth Stones Taken From Ancient Brooks

by Thomas Brooks, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Editor)

A collection of quotes compiled by Charles Spurgeon of the much loved Puritan Thomas Brooks.

Genres: Theology, Faith, Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Devotional

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Little is known about Thomas Brooks as a man, other than can be ascertained from his many writings. Born, probably of well-to-do parents, in 1608, Brooks entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1625. He was licensed as a preacher of the gospel by 1640 at the latest. Before that date he seems to have spent a number of years at sea, probably as a chaplain with the fleet. After the Civil War, Brooks became minister at Thomas Apostle s, London, and was sufficiently renowned to be chosen as preacher before the House of Commons on 26 December, 1648. Three or four years later he moved to St Margaret s, Fish-street Hill, London, but encountered considerable opposition as he refused baptism and the Lord s Supper to those clearly unworthy of such privileges. The following years were filled with written as well as spoken ministry. In 1662 he fell victim to the notorious Act of Uniformity, but he appears to have remained in his parish and to have preached the Word as opportunity offered. Treatises continued to flow from his agile pen. In 1677 or 1678 he married for the second time, 'she spring-young, he winter-old'. Two years later he went home to his Lord.

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. This was a book of quotations from the Puritan Thomas Brooks, selected by Charles Spurgeon. That's a good business, right there.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puritan Twitter! That’s what this is! Specifically Thomas Brooks’s Twitter feed. Unlike most he is not commenting on politics or canceling anyone, instead in under 200 characters he is speaking Biblical truth. I loved this book. I read it as a part of my morning devotions and I had so many of these that I loved that I am gonna create a doc where I have them all in one place, maybe to be used in future sermons.

So good! This book was collected by Charles Spurgeon as he read through Brooks. Not only do we get these gems from Brooks but we get to see what Spurgeon thought was important to save. All around a very good book. Highest recommendation

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a great mind gleans the greatest stuff from another great mind you get a great compendium.

[Blue Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Genius is always marvelous; but when sanctified it is matchless." Charles Spurgeon on Thomas Brooks.

Spurgeon describes this book as the "choice sayings of one of the King's mighties. The great divine who wrote these precious sentences was of the race of the giants." Basically, Spurgeon took his favorite quotes from the great puritan Thomas Brooks and bounded them up into a book.

What follows below are my favorite quotes, from Spurgeon's favorite quotes, from Brooks' quotes regarding all things pertaining to life and godliness. While the book does not do so, to make this easier for my future reference and hopefully a greater blessing to those reading this review, I categorized my favorite quotes by topic. Many of these I have written into my Bible as they are pure gold.

Sanctification & Sin:
"Let not a day pass without calling the whole man to an exact account. Hands - What have you done for God today? Tongue - What have you spoke? etc."
"Man's holiness is now his greatest happiness, and in heaven, man's greatest happiness will be his perfect holiness."
"It is best to gather the summer of youth against the winter of old age."
"A man never begins to be good till he begins to know Him who is the fountain of all goodness."
"A man never begins to fall in love with Christ till he begins to fall out with his sins. Till sin and the soul be two, Christ and the soul cannot be one."
"Nothing more sure than death. Nothing more uncertain than life; therefore, turn from your sins, lay hold on the Lord, and make peace with him, so that you may never say, as Caesar Borgia said when he was sick unto death, 'When I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared.'"
"Youth is the age of folly, of vain hopes, and overgrown confidence. How wise many might have been had they not been wise in their own opinions too early! Lean not to great parts, lean not to natural or acquired accomplishments, lest you lose them and yourselves too."

Christ:
"'Let the thoughts of a crucified Christ,' said one, 'be never out of your mind. Let them be meat and drink unto you. Let them be your sweetness and consolation, your honey and your desire, your reading and your meditation, your life, death, and resurrection."
"Everything that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He who leans only upon Christ, lives the highest, choicest, safest, and sweetest life."
"Surely they do not truly love Christ who love anything more than Christ."
"Few look so high as a crucified Christ for power against their powerful sins."

Providence/Sovereignty:
"Look as well on the bright as well as on the dark side of Providence."

Prayer:
"The little word 'father', (said Luther), lisped forth in prayer by a child of God, exceeds the eloquence of Demosthenes, Cicero, and all the other famed orators of the world."
"David's heart was more often out of tune than his harp. He begins many of his psalms sighing, and ends them singing; and others he begins in joy and ends in sorrow. 'So that one would think,' says Peter Moulin, 'that those psalms had been composed by two men of contrary humor.'"
"Private prayer is a golden key to unlock the mysteries of the word unto us. The knowledge of many choice and blessed truths are but the returns of private prayer. The word dwells most richly in their hearts who are most in pouring out of their hearts before God in their closets."
"Certainly, the very soul of prayer lies in the pouring out of a man's soul before the Lord, though it be but in sighs, groans, and tears. One sigh and groan from a broken heart is better pleasing to God than all human eloquence."
"God is never better pleased than when his people importune Him in His own words, and urge Him with arguments taken from His own promises."
"Luther professeth, 'That he profited more in the knowledge of the Scripture by private prayer in a short time, than he did by study in a longer space.'"
"Tears are a kind of silent prayers, which, though they say nothing, yet obtain pardon; and though they plead not a man's cause, yet they obtain mercy at the hands of God."
"If you cannot pray as you would, nor pray as you should, pray as well as you can."

Pride & Humility:
"It is very observable that the eagle and the lion, those brave creatures, were not offered in sacrifice unto God, but the poor lamb and dove, to denote that God regards not high and lofty spirits; but meek, poor, contemptible spirits God will accept."
"One asked a philosopher what God was doing; He answered that His whole work was to lift up the humble, and to cast down the proud."
"Christ dwells in that heart most eminently that hath emptied itself of itself."
"Sould that are thus soaring above the bounds and limits of humility, usually fall into the very worst errors."
"There is a wonder: God is on high, and yet the higher a man lifts up himself, the farther he is from God; and the lower a man humbles himself, the nearer he is to God."
"Caesar in warlike matters, minded more what was to conquer than what was conquered; what was to gain, than what was gained; so does a humble soul mind more what he should be, than what he is; what is to be done, than what is already accomplished."
"Humility will free a man from perturbation and perplexities. That which will break a proud man's heart, will not so much as break a humble man's sleep."
"Humility makes a man like an angel, but pride makes an angel a devil."

Faith:
"Till men have faith in Christ, their best services are but glorious sins."
"The Lord defines faith to be a coming to God in Christ; to be a resting, or staying, or rolling of the soul upon Christ."
"Faith is a sword to defend us, a guide to direct us, a staff to support us, a friend to comfort us, and a golden key to open heaven unto us."

Thanksgiving:
"A thankful soul holds consort with the music of heaven. The little birds do not sip one drop of water, but they look up as if they meant to give thanks; - to show us what we should do for every drop of grace."

Grace:
"Where sin abound, grace does superabound."
"Grace is a perpetually flowing fountain. It is compared to water, which serves to cool men when they are in a burning heat; so grace cools the soul when it has been scorched and burnt up by the sense of Divine wrath and displeasure. Water is cleansing; so is grace. Water is fructifying; so is grace. And water is satisfying; it satisfies the thirsty, and so does grace. (John 4:13,14)"

Scriptures:
"The only way to stand, conquer, and triumph, is still to plead, 'It is written,' as Christ did."
"The greatness of a man's sins does but set off the riches of free grace."
"When a man goes from the sun, yet the sunbeams follow him; so when we go from the Sun of righteousness, yet then the beams of his love and mercy follow us."

The World & Business:
"A man may have enough of the world to sink him, but he can never have enough to satisfy him."
"A heart that is full of the world, is a heart full of wants."
"Let no knowledge satisfy thee, but that which lifts thee above the world, but that which weans thee from the world, but that which makes the world a footstool. Such knowledge, such light, will at last lead thee into everlasting light."
"Miseries always lie at that man's door who leans upon anything below Christ."
"Vain thoughts will still be crowding in upon him who lives in a crowd of business."
"That man is doubtless upon the brink of ruin, whose worldly business eats up all his thoughts of God, of Christ, of heaven, of eternity, and of his soul; who can find time for anything, but none to meet with God in his closet."
"An idle life and a holy heart is a contradiction."
"Believer, the more worldly business lies upon thy hand, the more need thou hast to keep close to thy closet. Much business lays a man open to many sins, many snares, and many temptations."
"Chilo, one of the seven sages, being asked what was the hardest thing in the world to be done, answered, - 'To use and employ time well.'"

Assurance:
"Usually the most praying souls are the most assured souls."
"The least sin should humble the soul, but certainly the greatest sin should never discourage the soul, much less should it work the soul to despair. Despairing Judas perished, whereas the murderers of Christ, believing on Him, were saved."
"Our safety and security lie not in our weak holding upon Christ, but in Christ's holding us fast in His everlasting arms. This is our glory and our safety, that Christ's left hand is always under us, and his right hand doth always embrace us."

Trials & Tribulations:
"God oftentimes delays, that His people may come to Him with greater strength and importunity; He puts off, that they may put on with more life and vigor. God seems to be cold, that He may make us the more hot; He seems to be slack, that He may make us the more earnest; He seems to be backward, that He may make us the more forward in pressing upon Him."
"Wine was the nearest when the watering pots were filled with water up to the brim; so oftentimes mercy is nearest, deliverance is nearest, when our afflictions are at the highest."
"No man honors God, and no man justifies God at so high a rate, as he who lays his hand upon his mouth, when the rod of God is upon his back."
"Adversity abases the loveliness of the world, that might entice us; it abates the lustfulness of the flesh within, that might incite us to folly and vanity; and it abets the spirit in its quarrel with the two former, which tens much to the reviving and recovering of decayed graces."
"Christians, the highway to comfort is to mind comfort less and duty more."
"Afflictions are but a dark entry into our Father's house; they are but as a dirty lane to a royal palace."
"Woe, woe to that soul that God will not spend a rod upon. This is the saddest stroke of all, when God refuses to strike at all."
"Till a man comes to have God for his portion, he never comes to be temptation-proof."
"Temptation is God's school, wherein he gives his people the clearest and sweetest discoveries of his love."
"God makes afflictions to be but inlets to the soul's more sweet and full enjoyment of his blessed self."
"The children of God have always cause to exercise faith and hope on Him in their darkest condition, though they have not always actual joy and consolation; the Comforter always abides with the saints, though He doth not always comfort them."

Depravity:
"There is the seed of all sins, of the vilest and worst of sins, in the best of men."

Repentance:
"To repent of sin is as great a work of grace as not to sin."
"True repentance is a continued spring, where the waters of godly sorrow are always flowing. 'My sin is ever before me.'"

Satan:
"One of Satan's devices to keep poor souls in a sad, doubting and questioning condition is causing them to be always poring and musing upon sin; to mind their sin more than their Saviour, yea, so to mind their sins as to forget and to neglect their Saviour. Their eyes are so fixed upon their disease that they cannot see the remedy, though it be near."
"'Satan, reason not with me, I am but weak; if thou hast anything to say, say it to Christ; He is my advocate, my strength and my Redeemer; He shall plead for me.' There is no surer way of vanquishing the foul fiend than this."

Happiness & Glory of God:
"Happiness lies not in those things that a man may enjoy, and yet be miserable forever. True happiness is too big and too glorious a thing to be found in anything below that God who is a Christian's chief good."
"A man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins, if he hath made himself, and not the glory of God, the end of those actions."

Pastors & Overseers:
"The lives of ministers oftentimes convince more strongly than their words; their tongues may persuade, but their lives command."

[Gabie Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, comforting, and convicting. Worth rereading.

"Prayer crowns God with the honor and glory due to His name, and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort. The most praying souls are the most assured souls."

"A well-grounded assurance is always attended with three fair handmaids: love, humility and holy joy."

[Jesse1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Convicting . Encouraging . Uplifting . 5stars .

Quote :

A murmur is an ungodly man he is an ungod like man. No man is unlike God than the murmurer . And therefore no wonder if when God comes to execute judgment he deals severely and terribly with him . Let him make what profession he will of Godliness yet if murmuring keeps the throne in his heart Christ will deal with him at last as with ungodly sinners .

A lazy Christian will always want 4 things . Comfort. Content. Confidence and assurance. Assurance and joy are are choice denotives that Christ gives to laborious Christian’s only. But lazy Christian has his mouth full of complaints, when the active Christian has his heart full of comforts .

[Rusten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just great. A collection of the best sayings from Brooks selected by Spurgeon.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like quotes but reading a whole book of quotes is pretty boring! I would have preferred to see these in context...maybe longer extracts?

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of quotes picked out by Spurgeon.

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It was a wise and a Christian speech of Charles the Fifth to the Duke of Venice, who, when he had showed him the glory of his princely palace and earthly paradise, instead of admiring it, or him for it, only returned him this grave and serious memento, 'These are the things which make us unwilling to die.' (15)

Much of a Christian's spiritual strength lies in secret prayer, as Samson's did in his hair. Nothing disarms Satan and weakens sin like this. Secret prayers are the pillars of smoke wherein the soul ascends to God out of the wilderness of this world. Secret prayer is Jacob's lad-der, where you have God descending into the soul, and the soul sweetly ascending to God. Secret meals are very fattening, and secret duties are very soul-enriching. (16)

When you look upon the stream, remember the foun-tain; when you look upon the flower, remember the root; when you look upon the stars, remember the sun; and when you look upon your graces, remember the fountain of grace, else Satan will be too hard for you. (17)

When Caesar gave one a great reward, 'This', said he, 'is too great a gift for me to receive'; but, says Caesar, It is not too great a gift for me to give.' So, though the least gift that Christ gives, in one sense, is too much for us to receive, yet the greatest gifts are not too great for Christ to give. (18)

Erasmus tells of one who collected all the lame and defective verses in Flower's works, but passed over all that were excellent. Oh! that this were not the practice of many who will at last meet in heaven —that they were not careful and skilful to collect all the weaknesses of others, and to pass over all those things that are excellent in them! (44)

The more we remember our days, the fewer sins we shall have to number. (56)

Though true repentance be never too late, yet late repentance is seldom true. (56)

Grace does not destroy nature, but rather perfect it. Grace is of a noble offspring; it neither turns men into stocks nor into stoics. (71)

Divine knowledge fills a man with spiritual activity. It will make a man work, as if he would be saved by his work; and yet it will make a man believe that he is saved only upon the account of free grace. (75)

Christian, if thou art dear to God, God will, by striking thy dearest mercy, put thee upon striking at thy darling sin; therefore hold thy peace, even when God touches the apple of thine eye. (80)

Three things a Christian should steadily labour to main-tain: the honour of God, the honour of the Gospel and the honour of his own name. If once a Christian's good name sets in a cloud, it will be long before it rises again. (80)

A murmurer is an ungodly man: he is an ungodlike man; no man on earth more unlike to God than the mur-murer; and therefore no wonder if, when Christ comes to execute judgment, he deals severely and terribly with him. Let him make what profession he will of godliness; yet if murmuring keeps the throne in his heart, Christ will deal with him at last as with ungodly sinners. (83)

Oh, that the young would begin to be good betimes, that so they may have the greater harvest of joy when they come to be old! It is sad to be sowing seed when you should be reaping your harvest. It is best to gather the summer of youth against the winter of old age. (93)

There are three things that earthly riches can never do; they can never satisfy divine justice, they can never pacify divine wrath, nor can they ever quiet a guilty conscience. And till these things are done man is undone. (93)

Satan must have a double leave before he can do any thing against us. He must have his commission from God, and leave from ourselves, before he can act any thing against our happiness. When he tempts, we must assent; when he makes offers, we must hearken; when he commands, we must obey, or else all his labour and temptations will be frustrated; and the evil that he tempts us to shall be put down only to his account. (96)

It is a just and righteous thing with God, that he should fall into the pit who will adventure to dance upon the brink thereof; and that he should be a slave to sin who will not flee from the occasions of sin. As long as there is fuel in our hearts for a temptation, we can not be secure. He who has gunpowder about him, had need keep far enough off from sparks. (104)

One of Satan's greatest devices to destroy the saints is this, By working them first to be strange, and then to be bitter and jealous, and then to bite and devour one another. Christian, take heed! (119)

Your sins may provoke Christ to frown upon you, they may provoke Christ to chide with you, they may provoke him gently to correct you, but they shall never provoke him to give you a bill of divorce. (129)

Despair is a sin exceedingly vile and contemptible; it is a word of eternal reproach, dishonour and confusion; it declares the devil a conqueror, and what greater dishon-our can be done to Christ than for a soul to proclaim, before all the world, the devil a crowned conqueror? (139)

Oh, Christians! God loses much, and you lose much, and Satan gains much, by this, that you do not walk lovingly together. It is your sin and shame that you do not pray together, and hear together, and confer together, and mourn together, because that in some far less things you are not agreed together. You will not do many things you may do, because you can not do every thing you should do! Ah! God will whip you into a better temper before he has done with you. (147-8)

Love covereth all sin. Love's mouth is very large. Love hath two hands, and makes use of both to hide the defects of weak saints. O ye strong ones, Christ casts the mantle of his righteousness over your weakness, and will you not cast the mantle of love over your brother's infirmities? (149)

There is much of God in that soul that is, upon a gospel account, more careful and skilful to conceal the vices of weak saints than their virtues. Many in these days do justly incur the censure which that sour philosopher, Dio-genes, passed upon grammarians, that they were better acquainted with the evils of Ulysses than with their own. (155)

Cassianus reports that when a certain Christian was held captive by the infidels, and tormented by divers pains and ignominious taunts, being demanded, by way of scorn and reproach, 'Tell us what Christ has done for you?' he answered, 'He hath done what you see, that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me.' (160)

Naturalists report of the Chelidonian stone, that it will retain its virtue no longer than it is enclosed in gold. So hypocrites will keep up their duties no longer than they are fed and encouraged by the praises of men. (163)

This age is full of monsters who envy every light that outshines their own, and who throw dirt upon the graces and excellencies of others, that themselves only may be honoured. (166)

Many preachers in our days are like Heraclitus, who was called the dark doctor. They affect sublime notions, obscure expressions, and uncouth phrases, making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard. 'They darken coun sel with words without knowledge. Studied expressions and high notions in a sermon, are like Ashael's carcass in the way, that did only stop men, and make them gaze, but did no ways profit or edify them. It is better to present truth in her native plainness than to hang her ears with counterfeit pearls. (177)

It is more a weakeness than a virtue in strong Christians, when a weak saint is fallen, to aggravate his fall to the uttermost, and to present his sins in such a dreadful dress as shall amaze him. He who shall lay the same strength to the rubbing of an earthen dish, as he does to the rubbing of a peter-platter, instead of cleaning it will surely break it to pieces. The application is easy. (177)

Closet duty speaks out most sincerity. He prays with a witness who prays without a witness. (184)

Youth is the age of folly, of vain hopes, and overgrown confidence. How wise many might have been had they not been wise in their own opinion too early! Lean not to great parts, lean not to natural or acquired accomplishments, lest you lose them and yourselves too. It was an excellent saying of St. Augustine, 'He who stands upon his own strength shall never stand.’ Ah, young men, if you must needs be leaning, lean upon precious promises, lean upon the rock that is higher than yourselves, lean upon the Lord Jesus Christ, as John did, who was the youngest of all the disciples. John leaned much, and Christ loved him much. Oh! lean upon Christ's wisdom for direction, upon his righteousness for justification, upon his blood for remission, and upon his all-sufficient merits for salvation. (196)
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[Tom Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not properly a book, more a collection of quotations from the writings of Thomas Brooks, this little work nonetheless shines. It resonated with me particularly because for nigh on twenty years I have collected quotations from a wide variety of writers and shared them regularly with others. Apparently, Spurgeon had the same desire. As you read along, bouncing from thought to thought, you get to know Thomas Brooks a bit. His ministry emphasized humility and prayer. He regularly cautioned against the pull of this world's riches. Of course, he touches on many other subjects too. Setting to one side the fact that his language is four centuries old, it is plain to see that the man could turn a pretty phrase or two. Some very memorable statements in this work. More importantly, some thought provoking ones.

On a side note, since this work was compiled by Spurgeon in the 19th century it is clearly in the public domain. That being said, my copy was riddled with formatting errors. Yours may or may not be depending on the diligence of the publisher.

[Rod Innis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little book. Although the author is listed as Charles Spurgeon, there is not a word written by Spurgeon except in the preface. It is a collection of many sayings of a Puritan author Thomas Brooks collected by Charles Spurgeon (with much help from his wife) Hence the title!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book! I highlighted some of my favorite sayings. One of the topics that he talked about a great deal was private prayer. Many of the things that he said were very helpful and important reminders of the place of prayer in the life of a Christian.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiritual gold nuggets of daily truth and encouragement.

[Makayla Hidalgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So edifying! Great to have as an audiobook playing in the background to redeem the time.

[Tony Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished the book in January 2024 and found it a collection of quotes encompassing just about all aspects of the Christian life. Spurgeon said of Brooks that “genius is always marvelous; but when sanctified it is matchless.” There are many extremely challenging quotes warning against pride, extolling the necessity of humility and assuring all believers of their eternal security. Getting alone with God in your closet and praying in private was emphasized throughout the book. Many quotes are difficult to understand with obscure historical figures but forge on. To sum it up: Pride - Faith - Sin - Humility - Grace - Affliction - Adversity - Assurance - Gratitude - Repentance - Hell - Weak Christians - Private Prayer - Preachers/Ministers - Duty - Heart - Soul - Private Prayer - and, oh, did I mention Pride. To quote: "When God teaches the reins as well as the brains, they heart as thy head, these lessons are all in love." "A little will satisfy nature, less will satisfy grace, but nothing will satisfy a proud man’s lust" and "Man loves Christ by knowing, and knows Christ by loving."

[Becca Lemmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this- I listened to it on Spotify. I think it would be better as something to actually read, since it was a compilation of quotes. It was harder for me to listen to without context. It really is like puritan twitter.

[Jarm Boccio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words to Ponder!

This book is meat, substantial in its content. You need to take it slowly and savor each bite. It’s God’s Truth!

[Brandi Breezee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many sweet and true nuggets were gathered into this book.

[William Schrecengost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Would make for a great devotional

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern evangelicalism has forgotten for centuries the influence, piety, and theological acumen of the Puritans, not the least of which was Thomas Brookes. With the resurgence of reformation theology, the puritan's and their writings are making a comeback and this collection of excerpts from Brookes' writings from "The Prince of Preachers" (often called the last great puritan himself) Charles Spurgeon, is a worthy addition to any library.

[David Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much anything by Thomas Brooks is worth having, and I don't know that I should admit this but I got this book for a gift to give to another preacher and I ended up keeping it for myself. Don't worry he got some other good books from me. Even though I own the 6 volumes of the works of Thomas Brooks, this is a very good book of quotes from his writings done by Charles Spurgeon. Highly recommended.

[Peter Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of quotes from one of the best Puritans out there. Spurgeon compiled a great selection of quotes some of which I could recognize from Brooks works. I just wish he could have arranged them by topic.

[Clement Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich in truth and written with much tenderness and firmness of a pastor/fellow brother in Christ. His word pictures are brilliant and abundant. Good meal to munch on bit by bit on a daily basis.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, with its many word pictures, penetrates the heart as is typical for a 17th century Puritan like Thomas Brooks.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Jake Litwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of Thomas Brooks’ quotes that were taken from Charles Spurgeon. Great book with some great gems from Brooks. Wish book was organized by topic.