The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes

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.