Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit & Wisdom From History's Greatest Wordsmiths

by Mardy Grothe

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Product Description

ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun, plural: Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are true, often profoundly true. See also oxymoron, paradox.

examples:

"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad."
Victor Hugo

"To lead the people, walk behind them."
Lao-tzu

"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap."
Dolly Parton

You won't find the word "oxymoronica" in any dictionary (at least not yet) because Dr. Mardy Grothe introduces it to readers in this delightful collection of 1,400 of the most provocative quotations of all time. From ancient thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle, and Saint Augustine to great writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and G. B. Shaw to modern social observers like Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin, Oxymoronica celebrates the power and beauty of paradoxical thinking. All areas of human activity are explored, including love, sex and romance, politics, the arts, the literary life, and, of course, marriage and family life. The wise and witty observations in this book are as highly entertaining as they are intellectually nourishing and are sure to grab the attention of language lovers everywhere.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 stars

Good Fun & Great Resource, 2008-03-24
Some books are just fun. You pick them up knowing it will put a smile on your face and you leave it down with that smile on your face.
Oxymoronica (Is this a moronic title?) is one of those books.

It is difficult to write a lengthy review about this book because it would basically entail repeating many of the wonderful quotes which the author has sourced (and he does source and credit them very well.)

The oxymorons range through humor, the human condition, politics, advice and other concepts. I would encourage you to ignore the oxymoronic advice of George Bernard Shaw quoted in this book - "Never take anybody's advice," and read this book.

It is a genuine little gem

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2 out of 5 stars

Please, don't write between the lines, 2007-12-16
This book contains many fine entries by people other than the author, "Dr." Mardy Grothe. Many of them are not `opposite' or `contradictory' enough to fit in, and are less interesting than the ones that do belong.

The problem with the book is the many comments by the author, which at their best are not necessary. His day job evidently involves some sort of counseling. Perhaps this line of work leads him to expect that people require explanations. For whatever reason, he provides his readers, or rather the readers of his selections, with plenty of explanations. He tells us what it is about contradictory statements that makes them contradictory, or whatever else we might need to understand these otherwise entertaining quotations. He even tells us why some of them are funny. Like most people who `explain' what it is about a joke that makes it funny, he's not very funny, and neither is the joke when he is finished with it. No doubt you have heard the term, "firm grasp on the obvious."

Do I dare provide a quote from this mischief? Well, ok. From the Introduction:

Oxymoronica?" [sic] you might be thinking, "What's that?" While you surely know what an oxymoron is, oxymoronica is probably a new word to you. You won't find it in any dictionary (at least not yet) because I came up with it only a few years ago. In coining oxymoronica, I was inspired by words you may know . . . I use the word oxymoronica to describe quotations that contain incompatible or incongruous elements. Many examples of oxymoronica appear illogical or self-contradictory on the surface. But at a deeper level, they usually make a great deal of sense and are often profoundly true.

By leaving out the marginally appropriate quotations and ALL of "Doctor" Grothe's comments, this book could be reduced to half its size, and be considerably improved.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

a thoughtful gift, 2007-12-12
less valuable for its editorializing, but priceless for its compilation of puzzling truths about what makes us human. Bravo to the editor for this gem. I bought twenty copies to give as gifts ..there's something revealing for everyone from every generation.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderfully enlightening, 2007-07-16
The quotes in this pithy little book are full of wit and wisdom. I have shared many of them with friends and family. It will be worthwhile reading for anyone who cares about words, history and real "rubber-meets-the-road" intelligence.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4 out of 5 stars

Conversation Starter, 2006-12-21
My mother bought this for me for Christmas one year...she calls me her little oxymoron. She just means that I love witty uses of language...and this book was perfect for me, because it's full of just that! It's split into 14 different chapters, each one showcasing a different type of oxymoron. This was very helpful, because it's easy to flip to whichever section you're in the mood for. This is a great book to set on your coffee table, because it will be a conversations starter at any gathering.

I love how there were oxymorons that make me giggle:
"Be spontaneous." (think about that one!!)

And ones that were just true and thoughtful:
"To lead the people, walk behind them." - Lao-tzu

A great gift for anyone who enjoys the fun of playing with the English language.

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