Words to Live By

America's favorite expert on origins focuses on the roots and history of folk wisdom

"Ignorance is bliss." "Let the buyer beware." "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."* These familiar sayings have become part of our collective memory and embody the values we hold in common--but where did they come from? With his characteristically obsessive curiosity and relentless detailed detective skills, Charles Panati tracks the origins of hundreds of gems of folk wisdom that have found their way into American culture. Including such far-ranging sources as Aesop, the Bible, Ben Franklin, and Broadway, Words to Live By uncovers, and pulls together the various strands that make up the rich folk tradition of popular wisdom and "common sense." As always, Charles Panati takes us on a journey that is seriously informative, endlessly entertaining, and full of surprises.