The Last Word: A Treasury of Women's Quotes

By: Carolyn Warner
Publisher: Five Star Publications
Publication Date: February 2015
ISBN #: 978-1-58985-273-0
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: August 12, 2015

As her cover touts, Carolyn Warner does deliver a ‘treasury of women’s quotes’ in her book The Last Word.

Opening with not one, but two forwards by Sandra Day O’Connor (and the original by Erma Bombeck), the reader is able to anticipate the diversity of sentiments about to unfold in the multitude of chapters ahead. Ms. Warner cleverly breaks the book down into multiple chapters with headings such as: Ability, Action, Age, and Arts to name a few. The essence captured beyond each title segues into a series of famous quotes relevant to the chapter’s title. Statements range from those that have been uttered by dignitaries such as Margaret Meade before the theme continues to showcase quintessential funny men holding court in the same arena as Mel Brooks.

I am a writer and embrace the importance of the written word as much as how the written word can resonate once uttered. When I read Bette Davis’ quote: ‘If you want a thing well done, get a couple of broads to do it,’ I found myself reflecting, then smiling and finally uttering to myself: ‘Now there was a ‘broad’ who thumbed her nose at ‘political correctness’...refreshing at best! Stepping into another category, I savored the moments in the chapter titled: ‘Courage.’ Ms. Warner summarizes the chapter with eloquence in her opening statement: ‘Courage is more than simply a physical action. It is a state of mind as much as it is a state of body—and it’s in this context that I have included it.’ I admire a person who drives a premise as succinctly as Ms. Warner has done in her introduction of this particular chapter.

This book is a useful tool on many levels in that all walks of life have a propensity to seek out a resource that provides meaning and affirmation to the information he or she wishes to disseminate. The Last Word is such a resource. In my work, we have a community blackboard in our kitchen. I begin each day by going to the internet and searching for a quote to share in hopes of inspiring not only myself, but my fellow workers. I am thrilled to have had the pleasure to read Ms. Warner’s book and thoroughly enjoyed the wealth of wonderfully inspirational sentiments across its pages. I now have my ‘go to’ resource. I plan to keep it at my fingertips and refer to it often in the days ahead when I am in search of that one particular statement sure to inspire. This is a terrific book filled with a bounty of positive inspiration.

Quill says: The Last Word is a well-rounded compilation of inspirational quotes that has a little something for all walks of life.