Ifferisms: An Anthology of Aphorisms That Begin with the Word "IF"

"The largest and worthiest portion of our knowledge consists of aphorisms." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Some of the greatest writers in history were also inveterate aphorists: such luminaries as Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Friedrich Nietzsche, and George Bernard Shaw not only produced scores of them but were active proponents of the form itself. In IFFERISMS, linguistic specialist Grothe has collected a treasure trove of these succinct truths beginning with "if"-- "the biggest little word in the English language."

Culled from the author's extensive collection of witticisms and pithy sayings, this hoard of wisdom from writers, philosophers, politicians, actors, and others demonstrates the power of the question "What if?" to alter the way we think about our world, using these possibilities to bolster an argument or drive home a point. With ifferisms on topics ranging from gender relations to the human condition itself, this informative gem is sure to have readers and linguaphiles dispensing ageless advice and intriguing anecdotes to family and friends.

Some classic ifferisms:
*If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
*If anything can go wrong, it will.
*If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
*If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.
*If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

And, most importantly...
"If a book is worth reading, it is worth buying." --John Ruskin