'The work, as thus enlarged and enriched, forms a mine of thought of inestimable value to every one. To the young, particularly, it is of special value, as furnishing the means of storing the youthful mind with a fund of high and ennobling thoughts, such as have shaped the destinies of the great and good who have preceded them.'

This book was compiled with a Christian piety that I have only recently been able to appreciate with sympathy and enthusiasm, and I cherish this book as one of the very best in my library, because such piety is rarely seen taking charge of what virtues the compiler of an anthology aims, with his selections, to inculcate in the reader. In addition, as someone who almost never reads poetry or verse voluntarily, this book is crammed with them, and makes them eminently palatable by categorizing each passage according to topic. Reading poetry and verse has never been more rewarding.

The copy I own is a perfect book for the following reasons:

Production value: My copy is an American edition from 1866 (I believe I paid $25 for it), bound in densely woven green cloth, all edges gilt; the beautifully printed type is, thankfully, set in single column and embellished differently according to the length of each selection, with a consistent border on every page; the binding is hand-sewn, opens flat and is extremely durable. Selections range in size from a page of verse, to a half-page of prose, to a single sentence. All of this contributes to making this book an absolute pleasure to read from.

Literary content: As I said above, much of the selections are excerpts from poems, especially from Shakespeare. The selections fall under hundreds of different headings and among the largest collections are: Anger, Death, Friendship, Greatness, Glory, Life, Love, and Marriage. Over 50 pages of poetry and prose are devoted to Love alone. Many headings, by contrast, are represented by a single selection, and you can be sure that none of these should be overlooked. 564 pages of this stuff is a lot to chew on.

This is a book I want to read cover to cover as an initial survey, and then dip into for the rest of my life, because it is obvious that each topic will have especial relevance in future stages of my life that I cannot foresee. Therefore, it is prudent to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is offered here, so that, with luck, I can return to this book for counsel when the appropriate situations arise. This is a book I want to have with me at all times.

This book, along with the Imitation of Christ, have earned five stars because I was in desperate need of their offerings, and what they offer is inexhaustible, and supremely beautiful. I cannot say what effect these books would have on someone twice my age, or half as old, but I can say that one cannot read these books without the utmost humility and docility. I have found that reading the entire Imitation of Christ repeatedly before dipping into this book has given me a lot of insight into what the goal of this book is. It is an unapologetic manual for the conduct of one's life on Earth, and paired with the Imitation of Christ, these two books supply an overwhelming amount of wisdom for worldly and spiritual life. I am inclined to think that in a few years I will say the Bible trumps them both, but at the moment, I have read almost none of it.

I have dramatically lessened my efforts to browse for good books after finding these two. The efficiency with which wisdom leaps off of every page is startling. That there are undoubtedly hundreds more like these makes me want to run to the library right now and start scanning the shelves, but at some point I must stop and enjoy what I have already found. ( )