The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes

February 15, 1986
Anecdotes are brief stories we like to tell about people, more succinct than gossip and more respectable. Most in this dictionary have been "pilfered" (vii) from other collections, but on the other hand there are an informative introduction, an index of themes, and a bibliography of sources. The anecdotes themselves are arranged under the name of the person they're about. That this is a reference book, however, is doubtful: many of the anecdotes are followed by a cautionary note that they have been told of others as well or are apocryphal, and it's unlikely that much seriously useful biographical information is revealed in them, no matter how entertaining or true. More suitable for the bedside table than for the reference shelf. BOMC alternate.. William Wortman, Miami Univ. Lib., Oxford, Ohio

February 1, 1986
YA -Fadiman may do for the anecdote what Bartlett did for the quotation. There are over 4000 biographical anecdotes about more than 2000 famous people. The book is international in scope and an entertaining walk through history. People representing all types of occupations are covered, from U.S. presidents to Greek philosophers to entertainers and sports figures. Brief biographical information is given about each person, and sources are given wherever possible. The anecdotes range in spirit from the very moving to the amusing and ridiculous, with the emphasis on the latter two. Typical is the entry under Hank Aaron: "During the 1957 World Series, Yankee catcher Yogi Berra noticed that Aaron grasped the bat the wrong way. Turn it around, ' he said, so you can see the trademark.' But Hank kept his eye on the pitcher's mound: Didn't come up here to read. Came up here to hit.' " The arrangement is alphabetical by person, with name and subject indexes. The introduction includes an excellent essay on the definition, history and purpose of anecdotes. A thoroughly entertaining and useful reference source. Pat Royal, Prince George's County Public School System, Md.