This is a series of collections of anecdote on various topics, such as families and comedy.

Anecdotes Collections

Series Order
Newest Title Rating
250 Anecdotes About Opera by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 31,810. Language: English. Published: April 26, 2013 . Categories: Nonfiction » Music » Opera, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
This book contains 250 anecdotes about opera, including this one: Theater director Tyrone Guthrie was a fan of opera — and especially of Verdi’s Requiem. Often, he would sing along with his recording and shout, “Yes! Yes!” His wife, Judy, occasionally asked him, “Tony, can we just listen to it?” Mr. Guthrie always replied by shouting, “No — get involved.”
250 Anecdotes About Religion by
Series: 250 Anecdotes About Religion, Book 1 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 24,750. Language: English. Published: November 20, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: Andrew Carnegie was a very wealthy man who had a reputation for donating money to charitable causes. Mark Twain wrote him to say that he wanted to buy a $2 hymnbook, pointing out that “I will bless you, God will bless you and it will do a great deal of good.” Mr. Twain then added a postscript: “Don’t send the hymn-book—send me the two dollars.”
250 Anecdotes About Religion: Volume 2 by
Series: 250 Anecdotes About Religion, Book 2 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 24,620. Language: English. Published: November 20, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: In the family of Quaker humorist Tom Mullen, as part of the Christmas tradition the youngest child opened her presents first. The youngest child was Ruthie, who was not as materialistic as her siblings. For Ruthie a great part of the pleasure of Christmas lay in making her siblings wait a long time to open their presents.
250 Music Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Language: American English. Published: April 8, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Music » Biography, Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / anecdotes & quotations
This book contains 250 music anecdotes, including this one: Marian Anderson was a famous singer of opera and African-American spirituals. Occasionally, someone would tell her that they would do anything to be able to sing like her. She would smile and then ask, “Would you practice eight hours a day?”
Be a Work of Art: 250 Anecdotes and Stories by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 28,950. Language: English. Published: November 15, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample anecdote: Very often, an actor would have trouble with part of his role, whether it was speaking a line or performing some piece of business, and he would go to theatrical director Tyrone Guthrie for help. Often, Mr. Guthrie would have the answer at hand, but if he did not, he would tell the actor, “Go home, think about it, come back, and astonish us in the morning.”
Boredom is Anti-Life: 250 Anecdotes and Stories by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 30,390. Language: English. Published: April 28, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Cultural heritage
A Sample: Ballerina Tanaquil Le Clercq paid no attention to the superstition that it is bad luck to whistle in a dressing room, but she once shared a dressing room with a ballerina who did. Because the only way to get rid of the bad luck is to go outside the dressing room and twirl three times, Ms. Le Clercq says that “for one whole season I spent more time twirling off stage than on.”
Create, Then Take a Break: 250 Miscellaneous Anecdotes and Stories by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 28,510. Language: English. Published: November 12, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography, Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / anecdotes & quotations
This book contains 250 anecdotes about various creative activities. A sample: Corey Ford’s writings were widely plagiarized—especially his short humorous piece “How to Guess Your Age.” Whenever this happened, Mr. Ford would sue, winning every case. He once said about his lawsuits, “I find this a much easier way to make a living than by writing.”
Don't Fear the Reaper: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 31,390. Language: English. Published: October 21, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Personal inspiration, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
This book contains 250 anecdotes, including this one: Donald Ogden Stewart once told a harrowing story to a society lady about how his sloop had been capsized and he had to struggle for his life and was in danger of drowning near the Clews’ house—at this point the society lady interrupted by asking, “How are the Clews?”
Reality is Fabulous: 250 Anecdotes and Stories by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 33,160. Language: English. Published: July 30, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Sports biography
This book contains 250 anecdotes, including this one: Marion Davies once invited teetotaler Calvin Coolidge to one of her parties and deliberately served him sweet wine, telling him that it was fruit juice. Mr. Coolidge liked the beverage so much that he had three servings and told his hostess, “I don’t know when I’ve had anything as refreshing.”
Resist Psychic Death: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 33,480. Language: English. Published: October 17, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Personal inspiration, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
All of the rehearsals of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Serge Koussevitzky were intense. Even very popular and often-played pieces were approached anew each time they were to be played. According to Maestro Koussevitzky, whatever the orchestra was playing was “the greatest of the greatest”—otherwise, they would be playing something else.
Seize the Day: 250 Anecdotes and Stories by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 27,010. Language: English. Published: October 16, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Inspiration » Personal inspiration, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: Eddie Cantor once asked W.C. Fields why he never went swimming. Mr. Fields explained that while working in Atlantic City, he had to pretend to drown twelve times a day in front of a restaurant so that a huge crowd would gather, then seek refreshment. Mr. Fields told Mr. Cantor, “That’s why I’m against water. I got enough in Atlantic City to last me a lifetime.”
The Coolest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Language: English. Published: October 19, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography, Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Artists
This books contain 250 anecdotes, including this one: A friend of TV’s Mister Rogers used to paint trees when he was a little boy. Once, he painted a tree blue, and someone criticized his choice of colors. For years, he stopped painting trees — until a teacher told him that artists can paint things any color they want.
The Coolest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 30,780. Language: English. Published: October 20, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Literary biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
This book has 250 anecdotes, including this one: David Foster Wallace’s mother was an English teacher at a community college. She had an interesting way of teaching David and Amy, his sister, proper grammar. If either of them made an error in usage during conversation at the supper table, she would pretend to have a coughing fit until the child acknowledged his or her error and corrected it.
The Coolest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 27,800. Language: English. Published: October 22, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
This book contains 250 anecdotes, including this one: Starting out as a stand-up comedian can be tough. Dallas comedian Sherry Belle remembers getting laughs her first time on stage; unfortunately, the audience was laughing at all the wrong places. For example, she finished a joke, but the audience didn’t laugh, so she said, “That was the punch line.” That made the audience laugh.
The Coolest People in the Arts: 250 Anecdotes and Stories by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Language: English. Published: May 8, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Biography, Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / anecdotes & quotations
A Sample: Margot Fonteyn once was surprised to find out that a man she had thought was half-Oriental was actually 100% Panamanian. It turned out that as a boy he had lived in Japan. His face was injured in an earthquake, and the Japanese doctors performing plastic surgery on him had given him an Oriental appearance.
The Funniest People in Art: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 27,270. Language: English. Published: October 24, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography, Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Artists
This contains 250 anecdotes, including this one: When he was a small boy, Quaker artist Benjamin West made brushes out of hairs from his family’s pet cat, but he had to stop doing this after his father noticed that the cat looked as if it had been severely attacked by moths.
The Funniest People in Books, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Books, Book 2 · The Funniest People in Books, Book 2 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Language: English. Published: November 16, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Literary biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample anecdote: Some sentences have more than one meaning, including contradictory meanings. (A pause in a sentence can be important.) Poet Robert Southey hinted around for a compliment about 'Madoc,' his epic, so classical scholar Richard Porson said, “'Madoc' will be remembered—when Homer and Virgil are forgotten.”
The Funniest People in Books, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Books, Book 3 · The Funniest People in Books, Book 3 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 30,580. Language: English. Published: November 17, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Literary biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: When poet Robert Frost was growing up, his favorite book was "Tom Brown’s Schooldays," which was one of the books that his mother read out loud to her children. Young Robert loved the book so much that he wanted his mother to read and reread the other chapters, but he wouldn’t let her read the ending. Why? He wanted the book to never end.
The Funniest People in Books: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Books, Book 1 · The Funniest People in Books, Book 1 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Language: English. Published: October 25, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample anecdote: G.K. Chesterton visited Broadway and Times Square at night when the scene was brightly lit by advertising signs. He gazed at the sight for a while, then said to a friend, “How beautiful it would be for someone who could not read.”
The Funniest People in Comedy: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 22,320. Language: English. Published: October 25, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample anecdote: Lou Costello of Abbott and Costello fame really got into Christmas, setting up an elaborate Christmas display each year with angels, music, reindeer, and many hundreds of Christmas lights. Comedian George Gobel lived across the street from Mr. Costello. Mr. Gobel did nothing for Christmas except to put up a sign that said, “See our display across the street.”
The Funniest People in Dance: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 23,490. Language: English. Published: October 23, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
This book contains 250 anecdotes, including this one: Alicia Markova was dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy when Doris, her sister, sitting in the audience, overheard a little boy give what Ms. Markova considered the greatest compliment of her career. The little boy saw the Sugar Plum Fairy, then turned to his mother and said, “Can I have her for my Christmas tree next year?”
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 2: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Families, Book 2 · The Funniest People in Families, Book 2 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 22,350. Language: English. Published: November 27, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: Patricia Cockburn’s mother once discovered the butler drunk and under the dining room table moments before a dinner party was to begin. She told him, “Stay where you are, Jones, and don’t touch any of the ladies’ ankles.”
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 3: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Families, Book 3 · The Funniest People in Families, Book 3 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 27,610. Language: English. Published: November 27, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: In 1968, the New York Radical Women protested the Miss America pageant because they regarded it as being sexist. The activists filled a trash can with objects that they believed oppressed women, including bras, girdles, stiletto heels, and tweezers, and they chose—and put a crown on—their own, alternative Miss America: a live sheep.
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 4: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Families, Book 4 · The Funniest People in Families, Book 4 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 26,750. Language: English. Published: November 27, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: Travelers must often be problem solvers. While traveling in Russia, Betty Clabaugh (the sister of Doris Jadan, wife of tenor Ivan Jadan) knew that she shouldn’t drink the water. Therefore, she brushed her teeth with champagne.
The Funniest People in Families, Volume 5: 250 Anecdotes by
Series: The Funniest People in Families, Book 5 · The Funniest People in Families, Book 5 · Anecdotes Collections. Price: Free! Words: 23,380. Language: English. Published: November 27, 2011 . Categories: Nonfiction » Biography » Historical biography, Nonfiction » Biography » Celebrity biography
A sample: One Sunday, Texas preacher Edwin Porter was preaching when his three-year-old grandson grew tired. The grandson stood up on the pew and said in a loud voice, “Granddaddy, that will be about enough.” Mr. Porter immediately said, “We will close the service by singing, ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow.’”