The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations
New editions of reliable reference books inevitably invite comparisons with earlier versions, and that is certainly the case here. Although both titles have kept their original format, they have also added new material, deleted less popular passages, and expanded their indexing. In the second edition ofThe Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations,modernnow refers to the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and "authors who were alive in or after 1914," while the first edition concentrates on the twentieth century and quotations from those "still alive after 1900." While retaining most of the quotations found in the earlier edition, this one adds a number of new selections, such as quotations referring to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Once again, the quotations are listed chronologically under each of the alphabetically arranged authors' names. Several special features are included: 14 "special categories," including "Advertising Slogans" (found under "Anonymous" in the first edition), "Misquotations," "Opening Lines" and "Taglines for Films," which present these quotations alphabetically by the first word of each passage; an expanded keyword index; and a "Selective Thematic Index," which points the way to quotations on such motifs as "America," "Britain," "Computing," and "Royalty."The second edition ofThe Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying, and Quotationhas been similarly updated. Themes such as "Computers and the Internet," "Management," and "Photography" have been added to the list of topics that opens the book. As in the earlier edition, the material is arranged by subject and then further categorized as "Proverbs and Sayings," "Phrases," and "Quotations." Although this edition retains the format of its predecessor, there has been an effort to strengthen "the links between individual remarks and fixed phrases and sayings," which are the hallmark of this particular work. Modern sayings related to the topic at hand as well as earlier (sometimes theearliest) forms of an adage have been added to many sections. The keyword index has been expanded and now forms almost one-fourth of the entire book.Although there is some overlap between editions and even between these two titles, large or comprehensive collections will want to add both new editions as well as keep the earlier ones. A collection can never have too many quotation sources.RBBCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved