Kathryn Petras

Ross Petras

Timeless in their wisdom, thought-provoking in their message, surprising in their truth and memorable in their originality, the right words can give direction, inspiration, and sometimes a tangible boost onto the right path. For example, Steve Jobs once read “Stay hungry Stay foolish” on the back cover of The Whole Earth Catalog, and those four words came to guide his life. Created by Kathryn and Ross Petras, connoisseurs of quotes, whose books and calendars have over 56 million copies in print, "Dance First. Think Later." is a collection of the greatest life wisdom from an unexpected group of speakers, doers, and thinkers. There are 618 rules to live by—funny, sly, declarative, thoughtful, offhanded, clever, and always profound: “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” —Roald Dahl “If everything is under control, you are going too slow.” —Mario Andretti “Never make a credit decision on a beach.”—Victor J. Boschini “Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order.”—Samuel Beckett “The only time to eat diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook.” —Julia Child “What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight; build it anyway.” —Mother Teresa And: “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”—Oscar Wilde

618 Rules to Live By

"Dance First. Think Later"

Find the right words to encourage yourself and others in this collection of inspirational quotations. Pursuing a dream is hard work, but the right words delivered at the right time—by people who’ve been there and done that—can give us just the motivation we need. The right words can rekindle our enthusiasm, re-energize our efforts, dispel doubt, let us know we’re not alone, and show us that the fight is worth it—and winnable. Kathryn and Ross Petras are masters at choosing and delivering just the right words. Their books?such as “Age Doesn’t Matter Unless You’re a Cheese” and “Dance First. Think Later.”—and bestselling calendar, The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said, have over 5.2 million copies in print. Now comes a book for dreamers and doers, plus writers, entrepreneurs, graduates, artists, future movers and shakers. Collecting the hard-won, brilliantly expressed advice from pioneers who have paved the way, including everyone from Rumi to Steve Jobs, Michelangelo to Oprah to Tina Fey, “It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done” is like a rousing locker-room speech, inspiring courage, commitment, and perseverance. Featuring . . . “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” —Michael Jordan “Go for it, baby! Life ain’t no dress rehearsal.” —Tallulah Bankhead “Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.” —Neil Gaiman “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” —T. S. Eliot “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” —Nelson Mandela

Motivation for Dreamers & Doers

"It Always Seems Impossible Until It's Done."

For word nerds and grammar geeks, a witty guide to the most commonly mispronounced words, along with their correct pronunciations and pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and histories of use and misuse. With wit and good humor, this handy little book not only saves us from sticky linguistic situations but also provides fascinating cocktail-party-ready anecdotes. Entries reveal how to pronounce boatswain like an old salt on the deck of a ship, trompe l'oeil like a bona fide art expert, and haricot vert like a foodie, while arming us with the knowledge of why certain words are correctly pronounced the "slangy" way (they came about before dictionaries), what stalks of grain have to do with pronunciation, and more. With bonus sidebars like "How to Sound like a Seasoned Traveler" and "How to Sound Cultured," readers will be able to speak about foreign foods and places, fashion, philosophy, and literature with authority.

A Pronunciation Guide to the 150 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words--And Their Tangled Histories of Misuse

You're Saying It Wrong

From the authors of The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said comes a sidesplitting collection of inane incidents, senseless stunts, farcical feats, and utterly asinine activities from thoughout history and around the globe. A nonstop barrage of belly laughs, this comic compendium offers conclusive proof that actions speak louder--and funnier--than words.

The 176 Stupidest Things Ever Done

timeless poems by Snooki, Donald Trump, Kanye West, and other well-versed celebrities

The anthology of really important modern poetry

A Lively Guide to the 100 Terms Smart People Should Know

Awkword Moments

An entertaining and informative guide to the most common 150 words even smart people use incorrectly, along with pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and tangled histories of use and misuse. Even the most erudite among us use words like apocryphal, facetious, ironic, meteorite, moot, redundant, and unique incorrectly every day. Don’t be one of them. Using examples of misuse from leading newspapers, prominent public figures and famous writers, among others, language gurus Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras explain how to avoid these perilous pitfalls in the English language. Each entry also includes short histories of how and why these mistake have happened, some of the (often surprisingly nasty) debates about which uses are (and are not) mistakes, and finally, how to use these words correctly … or why to not use them at all. By the end of this book, every literati will be able to confidently, casually, and correctly toss in an “a priori” or a “limns” without hesitation.

The 150 Most Commonly Misused Words and Their Tangled Histories

That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means

Presents a collection of quotations from persons over the age of sixty about life and growing older.

Wisdom from Our Elders (Quote Book, Inspiration Book, Birthday Gift, Quotations)

"Age Doesn't Matter Unless You're a Cheese"

Nothing Is Worth More Than This Day.

"Don't Forget to Sing in the Lifeboats" offers an inspiring collection of quotes from people who've graduated from the school of hard knocks, yet kept a sense of humor.

342 Other Bits of Uncommon Wisdom for Uncommon Times

Don't Forget to Sing in the Lifeboats

An entertaining anthology of some of the worst poetry ever written includes contributions from unknown writers, as well as terrible works from such acclaimed poets as Whittier and Wordsworth. Original. 40,000 first printing.

Very Bad Poetry

Offers a compilation of the worst lines ever presented on the silver screen, arranged in alphabetical categories

The 776 Dumbest Things Ever Uttered on the Silver Screen

Stupid Movie Lines

The most comprehensive, up-to-date reference guide on employment opportunities in every part of the country includes job trends, the outlook for specific occupations for the coming year, and on-target advice and suggestions for minority, female or disabled job seekers. The Petras provide the most reliable and useful information available for people seeking jobs at any level.

Jobs, 1996

Career opportunities, job descriptions, salary levels, and growth potential are among the factors considered in Jobs '97. With specific information for disabled workers, minorities, and women, Jobs '97 will be welcomed by everyone from entry-level workers to executivies.

Jobs '97

From first-time job-hunters to career changers, from entry-level to executive positions, more than 40 million jobs are discussed in this, the only job-finding guide with up-to-date analyses of trends and changes in every career, industry, and region of the country.

Jobs '93

George Petras

Jobs '98 is your ticket to today's changing job market, with up-to-date and comprehensive information on: The most exciting new opportunities, from on-line journalism to financial consulting to jobs abroad in Eastern Europe and Asia The hottest cities and regions in the country with the best job opportunities The top companies in every industry The best job-hunting tools and leads available on-line—and how to use them The real lowdown on salaries, working conditions, and outlook "Best bet" companies with strong employment prospects, unique opportunities, or great chances for advancement What the future holds—business by business, region by region, career by career Whether you're hunting for your first job out of college, turning over a new leaf and switching careers, looking to move up in your current field, or assessing the ever-evolving job market, this is the ultimate resource. In these pages you'll find all the best positions, the best salaries, and the best opportunities in every area, plus the trends to be on the lookout for. Designed to make your job search as quick, effective, and enlightening as possible, Jobs '98 puts a wealth of timely and specific job leads at your fingertips. Everything you need is here.

From Entry Level to Executive Positions Leads on More than 40 Million Jobs

Jobs 98

The bestselling career guide, now completely revised and updated to offer up-to-the-minute information on job trends and opportunities. Includes hundreds of company listings and thousands of jobs, plus lists of top companies in 20 different industries, fastest growing companies, companies with best salaries and working conditions, and more.

Jobs '92

Wretched writing is the lowest of the low; it is a felonious assault on the English language. Exuberantly excessive, it is a sin committed often by amateurs and all-too-frequently by gifted writers having an off day. In short, it’s very bad writing. Truly bad. Appallingly bad. It’s also very funny. A celebration of the worst writing imaginable, Wretched Writing includes inadvertently filthy book titles, ridiculously overwrought passages from novels, bombastic and confusing speeches, moronic oxymorons, hyperactive hyperbole, horribly inappropriate imagery in ostensibly hot sex scenes, mangled clichés, muddled metaphors, and unintended double entendres. Sit back and enjoy these deliciously dreadful samples, and try not to cringe too much.

Kathryn Petras

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