Lincoln: A Book of Quotations

"All I have learned, I learned from books," declared Abraham Lincoln — and this book offers ample learning from the sixteenth president's wise and often witty remarks. Drawn from speeches, letters, and other sources, these thoughts and opinions range from considerations of human nature and spirituality to the burdens and privileges of the presidency along with many other topics of enduring interest.
Selections include comments on morality ("It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.") and the pursuit of happiness ("Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.") as well as friendship ("I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down."), human frailty ("It's not me who can’t keep a secret. It's the people I tell that can't."), and other thought-provoking subjects.

An English professor at the City University of New York's Kingsborough College, Bob Blaisdell is the editor of numerous Dover Thrift Editions and many other books. He has published essays about his experiences as a teacher and regularly reviews books for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Christian Science Monitor.

NoteAmericaEducation and Advice for the YoungFaith, Morality, and God's WillFathers and SonsHis Own Life and CharacterLaw and the ConstitutionPoliticsPoliticians: Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas, and Zachary bTaylorThe PresidencyReading and WritingSecessionSlavery, Equality, and The Emancipation ProclomationSpeech-MakingStorytellingThe War and His GeneralsWomen and MarriageAppendix: Remarks on Abraham Lincoln by His Contemporaries