My Favorite Quotations. By Norman Vincent Peale. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1990. 140 pages. Hardcover, $12.95.  

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can change their lives by altering their attitudes of mind (p. x).” Anyone familiar with Norman Vincent Peale will acknowledge that he has taken to heart this quotation from Henry James. Peale has made a career of helping people develop an attitude of optimism.  

In this recent book he shares his favorite quotations, hoping that they will inspire others to face adversity with courage and hope, to reach for excellence, and to be a blessing to others.  

Peale arranges the quotations into fifteen chapters covering themes such as daily life and work, enthusiasm and perseverance, prayer, physical health, community, love and family, and aging. Within each chapter Peale arranges the quotations chronologically and gives the source. This arrangement makes it easy to find the biblical passages, since they typically come toward the beginning of the chapter.  

Readers may be surprised at the antiquity of some sayings, such as “God loves to help him who strives to help himself (Aeschylus, 525-456 B.C.). Sufferers may well agree with Publius Syrus (ca. 42 B.C.) that “the pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body.”  

People who have read much of Peale’s writing will doubtless recognize many of the quotations included. After all, they are his favorites. Still, there are bound to be nuggets of truth for every reader.  

Scripture provides the best source of truth for meditation and reflection, but quotations from other sources can also inspire or give insight. Peale’s collection can serve both to nourish ministers’ own lives and to enliven preaching and teaching.