num_pages: 288
description: According to American playwright Lillian Hellman cynicism is an unpleasant way of telling the truth. Cynicism may be confronting but it can also be extremely witty and amusing - and strangely exhilarating. After all telling the truth about uncomfortable subjects is the stock in trade of the comedian - as such masters as Woody Allen Jerry Seinfeld and Billy Connolly well know.The entries in this dictionary comprise caustic quotations by a variety of cynics and truth-tellers - ever ready yo prick the conceits and pomposities of their times. Foremost is Ambrose Bierce (1842-c1914) an American journalist satirist and short story writer - and the compiler of the first cynic's lexicon 'The Devil's Dictionary'. The best of his curmudgeonly definitions form the backbone of this collection.NB: This ISBN seems to have been used for two different titles for this work:'The Devil's Collection: A Cynic's Dictionary' - first published 2003and'Wicked Wisdom: A Cynic's Dictionary' - first published 2004... although the latter title does have an alternative ISBN as well!Additional Bibliographical note: That alternative ISBN is used here for the 2005 edition but the 2004 edition has the same ISBN 1865038563 as 'The Devil's Collection'!
language: English
title: Wicked Wisdom: A Cynic's Dictionary
publisher: Five Mile Press Pty Ltd