About "Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths"

Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths A Book-of-the-Month Club Selection Published March 2004       Hardcover: 256 Pages List Price: $14.95       ISBN: 0060536993

HarperCollins

All online booksellers and all major brick & mortar bookstores will be selling the book, but to make things a little easier for you, I'll provide links to two online sellers:

Oxymoronica is the second in a series of books that celebrate my love of words and language. This book is devoted to paradoxical and oxymoronic quotations—those very special observations that use a contradiction in terms or a contradiction in ideas to tantalize our thinking or tickle our funny bones. Examples of oxymoronica have captured the minds of people for centuries, showing up in such popular sayings as:

The book presents over 1,400 "self-contradictory" quotations. This means that, like the three quotes above, every single quote in the book contains a "marriage of opposites." Each one brings together concepts that don't typically go together or are downright incompatible. Many of the quotes appear false upon first reading, but are profoundly true or perception-altering upon reflection. Still others are absolutely hilarious. Here are a few more examples:

I've been collecting self-contradictory quotations for more than 15 years. As my personal collection began to grow, I began organizing them by categories (political, artistic, literary, stage & screen, sports, etc.). Early on, I dreamed of one day putting the quotes together in a book. Now, after all these years, it's finally happened. The intended audience has been clear from the beginning—it's for people who enjoy wordplay and ideaplay. If this description fits you, I think you'll enjoy the book. And if you know such a person, it could be the perfect gift for the word and language lover in your life.

For more information, click on the links below:

Praise for the Book

Since Oxymoronica was written with word and language lovers in mind, I'm gratified to report that it has already garnered praise from some pretty special people in that world. Here's a sampling of what some well-known verbivores and linguaphiles have said about the book:

Table of Contents

I don't know about you, but I hate to buy a book without perusing the table of contents. If you're similarly inclined, this should help:

How to Get the Book

Let me briefly describe three ways for you to get a copy of the book.

1) Your Local Bookstore

Most discerning bookstores will have Oxymoronica in stock, so a visit to your favorite bookseller may be the easiest way to get your hands on a copy. If they don't have it, ask them to order a copy. This is a service bookstores are more than willing to provide to their book-loving customers, so take advantage of it. To identify a local Independent bookstore near you, visit IndieBound.

2) Online Bookstores:

3) Your Local Library

If you're a little short on cash right now, no problem! You can be reading Oxymoronica within a few weeks. Simply call or go to your local library and ask them to order a copy or two for the library's collection. Tell them to reserve the book for you, and they'll notify you when it comes in. I've been able to get my hands on scores of books this way over the years. This is one of the many fantastic services provided by public libraries; yet very few people are aware of it. And it's paid for by your tax dollars, so take advantage of it. By the way, even if you decide to buy a copy of the book, I'd appreciate your asking your local library to order a copy anyway.