"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."

"When in doubt, tell the truth."

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

One of America's greatest storytellers, Samuel Clemens had something witty and wise to say on just about every topic. Gathered from his classic novels, diary entries, newspaper articles, and correspondence, this collection of wry quips and quotes reflects his keen observations on animals, critics, doctors, laughter, politics, youth, and other topics. Arranged alphabetically—"Abroad to Ax," for example, along with "Madness to Mystery" and "Uncle to Utah"—the subjects are also conveniently indexed and cross-referenced by topic.