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If This Isn't Nice, What Is?: Advice for the Young
Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut's words were unfailingly unique, insightful, and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation.
This expanded second edition includes more than sixty pages of further thoughts from Kurt (whose good advice wasn’t limited to graduation speeches).
As edited by Dan Wakefield, this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers of all ages. At times hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and deeply serious, these reflections are ideal for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony”—marking the passage from student to full-time adult.
This expanded second edition includes more than sixty pages of further thoughts from Kurt (whose good advice wasn’t limited to graduation speeches).
As edited by Dan Wakefield, this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers of all ages. At times hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and deeply serious, these reflections are ideal for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony”—marking the passage from student to full-time adult.
144 pages, MP3 CD
First published April 10, 2013
3 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
421books35.8kfollowersKurt Vonnegut, Junior was an American novelist, satirist, and most recently, graphic artist. He was recognized as New York State Author for 2001-2003.
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.
After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.
His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.
Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.
After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.
His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.
Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)
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July 25, 2017
One of the funniest stories I ever learned about Kurt Vonnegut was what he said as a eulogy to science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. At Asimov’s funeral, to the assembled guests, Vonnegut began his address with these words: “Well, he’s in heaven now.� Vonnegut recalls that the mourners broke up in laughter. It was so humorous because Asimov was an outspoken atheist. This anecdote is vintage Kurt, satirizing anything and everything and at the most ironic times.
If This Isn’t Nice What Is? is a collection of speeches Vonnegut delivered to graduating classes and other pep talks. After becoming a best selling and famous writer, Vonnegut also became a well sought after speaker. Like the best of Vonnegut’s writing, these essays are so enjoyable because they are playful and profound at the same time. Like Asimov, Vonnegut was a humanist as well, but unlike Asimov and so many others, he was not a virulent, in your face atheist, who displays as much zeal in denouncing God as many believers do trying to win converts. Vonnegut invited people to listen to Jesus� kind and gentle words and to go to church. He was all about community and living together peacefully and these speeches are wonderful reminders about the best of what he had to say.
If This Isn’t Nice What Is? is a collection of speeches Vonnegut delivered to graduating classes and other pep talks. After becoming a best selling and famous writer, Vonnegut also became a well sought after speaker. Like the best of Vonnegut’s writing, these essays are so enjoyable because they are playful and profound at the same time. Like Asimov, Vonnegut was a humanist as well, but unlike Asimov and so many others, he was not a virulent, in your face atheist, who displays as much zeal in denouncing God as many believers do trying to win converts. Vonnegut invited people to listen to Jesus� kind and gentle words and to go to church. He was all about community and living together peacefully and these speeches are wonderful reminders about the best of what he had to say.
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June 2, 2015"Di regola io ne conosco una sola: bisogna essere buoni, cazzo".
Si può rimanere indifferenti a molte disgrazie, ma non di certo ad una tale portata di coraggio, luminosità, altruismo. Che magnifico navigatore spaziale sei stato, Kurt.
Si può rimanere indifferenti a molte disgrazie, ma non di certo ad una tale portata di coraggio, luminosità, altruismo. Che magnifico navigatore spaziale sei stato, Kurt.
January 6, 2024
Volevo iniziare questa recensione in un modo completamente diverso, ma non posso.
Non posso perché sono felice 😃.
Sono uscita in giardino questa sera e vedo un palloncino rosa vicino al tavolo e penso :
" Qualche bambino lo avrà buttato dentro dal parchetto".
Mi avvicino per prenderlo, prima che Dago lo veda (pastore tedesco attratto da qualunque cosa) e noto che è uno di quei palloncini gonfiati ad elio, lo tiro su e c'è un cartellino, quelli che i bambini fanno durante feste o eventi. Beh su questo cartoncino c'è il disegno di Lara...un prato con un albero, un gatto ed una mongolfiera. Arriva dalla Svizzera e io sto in Brianza....Qualche km lo ha fatto ed ha scelto proprio me e proprio oggi che ho concluso Vonnegut e Quando siete felici, fateci caso!
Lara, ora sono felice grazie al tuo disegno e cercherò di farti sapere che l'ho ricevuto 😊😊
Per quanto riguarda il libro invece....doveva iniziare così
“Fate l’amore ogni volta che potete. Vi fa bene.�
Questa è la citazione che ho scelto io di Vonnegut perché “Di regola io ne conosco una sola: cazzo, bisogna essere buoni!� la usano già tutti 😂
Quando siete felici, fateci caso e quando le cose vanno bene e tutto fila liscio, fermatevi un attimo, per favore, dite a voce alta: “Cosa c’� di più bello di questo?�
Ho letto questa raccolta di discorsi ai neo laureandi per conoscere meglio Kurt Vonnegut e diciamo che è servito.
Nel suo modo di parlare e di scrivere, Vonnegut riusciva sempre a tirare fuori le parole e le espressioni schiette che la gente pensava ma non diceva, le idee che esprimevano sensazioni intime, che facevano vacillare i preconcetti e spingevano il lettore a guardare le cose da un’angolazione diversa.
Si arruolò nell’esercito durante la seconda guerra mondiale, fu catturato dai tedeschi e spedito in un campo di prigionia a Dresda, dove sopravvisse al bombardamento della città mentre era alloggiato in un deposito sotterraneo di carni chiamato Mattatoio n. 5. Da qui uno dei suoi più acclamati libri.
Queste parole sono di Vonnegut: “Se lei si prendesse la briga di leggere i miei libri, di comportarsi come una persona istruita, scoprirebbe che non sono erotici, e non promuovono atteggiamenti indisciplinati di alcun tipo. Pregano i lettori di essere più gentili e più responsabili di quanto spesso sono. È vero che alcuni dei miei personaggi usano parole volgari. Ma è perché la gente usa parole volgari nella vita reale. A usare parole volgari sono specialmente i soldati e gli uomini che fanno lavori pesanti, e questo lo sanno perfino i bambini tenuti più al riparo dal mondo. E tutti noi sappiamo anche che certe parole in realtà non danneggiano molto i bambini. Non hanno danneggiato noi quando eravamo piccoli. A farci del male sono state le cattive azioni e le bugie."
Kurt è stato un grande uomo e credo che servano più persone come lui e una grande ed immensa famiglia!
Peace & Love
Non posso perché sono felice 😃.
Sono uscita in giardino questa sera e vedo un palloncino rosa vicino al tavolo e penso :
" Qualche bambino lo avrà buttato dentro dal parchetto".
Mi avvicino per prenderlo, prima che Dago lo veda (pastore tedesco attratto da qualunque cosa) e noto che è uno di quei palloncini gonfiati ad elio, lo tiro su e c'è un cartellino, quelli che i bambini fanno durante feste o eventi. Beh su questo cartoncino c'è il disegno di Lara...un prato con un albero, un gatto ed una mongolfiera. Arriva dalla Svizzera e io sto in Brianza....Qualche km lo ha fatto ed ha scelto proprio me e proprio oggi che ho concluso Vonnegut e Quando siete felici, fateci caso!
Lara, ora sono felice grazie al tuo disegno e cercherò di farti sapere che l'ho ricevuto 😊😊
Per quanto riguarda il libro invece....doveva iniziare così
“Fate l’amore ogni volta che potete. Vi fa bene.�
Questa è la citazione che ho scelto io di Vonnegut perché “Di regola io ne conosco una sola: cazzo, bisogna essere buoni!� la usano già tutti 😂
Quando siete felici, fateci caso e quando le cose vanno bene e tutto fila liscio, fermatevi un attimo, per favore, dite a voce alta: “Cosa c’� di più bello di questo?�
Ho letto questa raccolta di discorsi ai neo laureandi per conoscere meglio Kurt Vonnegut e diciamo che è servito.
Nel suo modo di parlare e di scrivere, Vonnegut riusciva sempre a tirare fuori le parole e le espressioni schiette che la gente pensava ma non diceva, le idee che esprimevano sensazioni intime, che facevano vacillare i preconcetti e spingevano il lettore a guardare le cose da un’angolazione diversa.
Si arruolò nell’esercito durante la seconda guerra mondiale, fu catturato dai tedeschi e spedito in un campo di prigionia a Dresda, dove sopravvisse al bombardamento della città mentre era alloggiato in un deposito sotterraneo di carni chiamato Mattatoio n. 5. Da qui uno dei suoi più acclamati libri.
Queste parole sono di Vonnegut: “Se lei si prendesse la briga di leggere i miei libri, di comportarsi come una persona istruita, scoprirebbe che non sono erotici, e non promuovono atteggiamenti indisciplinati di alcun tipo. Pregano i lettori di essere più gentili e più responsabili di quanto spesso sono. È vero che alcuni dei miei personaggi usano parole volgari. Ma è perché la gente usa parole volgari nella vita reale. A usare parole volgari sono specialmente i soldati e gli uomini che fanno lavori pesanti, e questo lo sanno perfino i bambini tenuti più al riparo dal mondo. E tutti noi sappiamo anche che certe parole in realtà non danneggiano molto i bambini. Non hanno danneggiato noi quando eravamo piccoli. A farci del male sono state le cattive azioni e le bugie."
Kurt è stato un grande uomo e credo che servano più persone come lui e una grande ed immensa famiglia!
Peace & Love
July 1, 2019
Would have loved to have Kurt Vonnegut as a commencement speaker! I have no basis for complaint; Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke at my graduation and was a fantastic speaker. it just seems I want everything. If This Isn't Nice, What Is?: Advice for the Young is an edited collection of commencement speeches Vonnegut gave (basically in the last decade of his life). Here are a few takeouts:
“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.�
“Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories.�
“I apologize now. I apologize because of the terrible mess the planet is in. But it has always been a mess. There have never been any “Good Old Days,� there have just been days. And as I say to my grandchildren, “Don’t look at me. I just got here myself.� So you know what I’m going to do? I declare everybody here a member of Generation A. Tomorrow is another day for all of us.�
You definitely get a sense of Vonnegut's humanism and his personality in these and other snippets from his speeches. The collection offers both real advice and a way of getting to know what's important to Vonnegut. If you are a Vonnegut fan, you will enjoy!
And here I am a few years ago talking with the editor of this collection and writer, Dan Wakefield, about Kurt Vonnegut! Great guy and great conversation!!
“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.�
“Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories.�
“I apologize now. I apologize because of the terrible mess the planet is in. But it has always been a mess. There have never been any “Good Old Days,� there have just been days. And as I say to my grandchildren, “Don’t look at me. I just got here myself.� So you know what I’m going to do? I declare everybody here a member of Generation A. Tomorrow is another day for all of us.�
You definitely get a sense of Vonnegut's humanism and his personality in these and other snippets from his speeches. The collection offers both real advice and a way of getting to know what's important to Vonnegut. If you are a Vonnegut fan, you will enjoy!
And here I am a few years ago talking with the editor of this collection and writer, Dan Wakefield, about Kurt Vonnegut! Great guy and great conversation!!
August 30, 2019
I can't say enough good things about Kurt Vonnegut. Since this is a collection of his graduation speeches, I went to YouTube first to re-watch some of his interviews and recorded presentations to hear his voice and prime my brain with an idea of his delivery, his intonation, his vocal tics and pauses and throat-clearings, his grandfatherly warmth.
Here's the best of the bunch (though who knows if the link will still point anywhere by the time you read this): ""
Here's another grand one (though it cuts off too abruptly at the end), a , which kicks off with "Q: How's life? A: Well, it's practically over, thank god!" and veers into the political realm, showing kindness and optimism but also sadness and a touch of anger -- all the qualities we identify in Vonnegut's strongest writing.
As for this book? Dan Wakefield presents a helpful introduction to provide some context, and Vonnegut's own words are, of course, insightful, inspiring, wistful, and funny. It's nice. But you probably expected that already. Every speech in here contains a 5 star idea. When you read them all together, you will see some repetition. But only a damn fool would say repeating a 5 star idea lessens its value. Vonnegut was not a damn fool. An old fool, sure, but that's only to be expected.
5 stars out of 5.
Here's the best of the bunch (though who knows if the link will still point anywhere by the time you read this): ""
Here's another grand one (though it cuts off too abruptly at the end), a , which kicks off with "Q: How's life? A: Well, it's practically over, thank god!" and veers into the political realm, showing kindness and optimism but also sadness and a touch of anger -- all the qualities we identify in Vonnegut's strongest writing.
As for this book? Dan Wakefield presents a helpful introduction to provide some context, and Vonnegut's own words are, of course, insightful, inspiring, wistful, and funny. It's nice. But you probably expected that already. Every speech in here contains a 5 star idea. When you read them all together, you will see some repetition. But only a damn fool would say repeating a 5 star idea lessens its value. Vonnegut was not a damn fool. An old fool, sure, but that's only to be expected.
5 stars out of 5.
April 26, 2016
I stumbled across this book by happenstance and was amazed when I realized that this was the perfect book I could read at this precise moment in my life. I have just graduated college and Mr. Vonnegut's words for the "young" have been inspiring and thought-provoking while ever maintaining his unique sense of wit.
I was taught multiple life lessons over the course of a couple hours. I found myself, for days, mulling over his ideas that surfaced throughout this collection of words. I was shocked by the enlightening truths I found. For one, that the older generations are much more our contemporaries than we youth tend to think or want to admit. This is evidenced when he said, "I apologize because of the terrible mess the planet is in. But it has always been a mess. There have never been any ‘Good Old Days,� there have just been days. And as I say to my grandchildren, ‘Don’t look at me. I just got here myself.'" Now, isn't that true in the grand scheme of things? Why don't more people realize this, and why did it take me so long to realize it myself?
His sense of community and thoughts about how people need enough people really made me contemplate my view of community. And in actuality, he caused me to reassess my needs. What inspires me. What makes me tick. Do I have enough people?
I recently took a trip to Portland. His brilliance and the ghost of his words followed me there. One night, sitting in the cool summer Oregon air, I was warming my feet by a backyard fire pit. As I lazily watched the orange flame-light dance on the pine tree needles as the tall forms framed the bright constellations in the black sky, I couldn't help but say to myself, "If this isn't nice, what is?"
I was taught multiple life lessons over the course of a couple hours. I found myself, for days, mulling over his ideas that surfaced throughout this collection of words. I was shocked by the enlightening truths I found. For one, that the older generations are much more our contemporaries than we youth tend to think or want to admit. This is evidenced when he said, "I apologize because of the terrible mess the planet is in. But it has always been a mess. There have never been any ‘Good Old Days,� there have just been days. And as I say to my grandchildren, ‘Don’t look at me. I just got here myself.'" Now, isn't that true in the grand scheme of things? Why don't more people realize this, and why did it take me so long to realize it myself?
His sense of community and thoughts about how people need enough people really made me contemplate my view of community. And in actuality, he caused me to reassess my needs. What inspires me. What makes me tick. Do I have enough people?
I recently took a trip to Portland. His brilliance and the ghost of his words followed me there. One night, sitting in the cool summer Oregon air, I was warming my feet by a backyard fire pit. As I lazily watched the orange flame-light dance on the pine tree needles as the tall forms framed the bright constellations in the black sky, I couldn't help but say to myself, "If this isn't nice, what is?"
November 26, 2021
Herein lies a collection of nine commencement speeches by Kurt Vonnegut, delivered at various academic institutions between (approximately) 1994 and 2001.
“We had a memorial service for Isaac [Asimov] a few years back and at one point I said, ''Isaac is up in Heaven now.'' It was the funniest thing I could have said to a group of Humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, ''Kurt is up in Heaven now.'' That’s my favorite joke."
When my youngest son graduated from Williams College some eight or nine years ago, we were treated to a group of commencement speakers that completely blew my mind. Among those addressing his graduating class were author/historian Stacy Schiff, singer/songwriter Annie Lennox, and tennis legend Billie Jean King.
Commencement addresses can sometimes be a crap shoot. There are those that are academically inspirational [see Stacy Schiff], those that are artistically beautiful [see Annie Lennox], and those that are incredibly fun and entertaining [see Billie Jean King]. There are also, on rare occasion, those that are all of the above [see Kurt Vonnegut].
“Being merciful, it seems to me, is the only good idea we have had so far. Perhaps we will get another good idea by and by—and then we will have two good ideas.�
I wish desperately that he were still with us, but Kurt is up in Heaven now.
(He was right, that does make me laugh 😉)
“We had a memorial service for Isaac [Asimov] a few years back and at one point I said, ''Isaac is up in Heaven now.'' It was the funniest thing I could have said to a group of Humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, ''Kurt is up in Heaven now.'' That’s my favorite joke."
When my youngest son graduated from Williams College some eight or nine years ago, we were treated to a group of commencement speakers that completely blew my mind. Among those addressing his graduating class were author/historian Stacy Schiff, singer/songwriter Annie Lennox, and tennis legend Billie Jean King.
Commencement addresses can sometimes be a crap shoot. There are those that are academically inspirational [see Stacy Schiff], those that are artistically beautiful [see Annie Lennox], and those that are incredibly fun and entertaining [see Billie Jean King]. There are also, on rare occasion, those that are all of the above [see Kurt Vonnegut].
“Being merciful, it seems to me, is the only good idea we have had so far. Perhaps we will get another good idea by and by—and then we will have two good ideas.�
I wish desperately that he were still with us, but Kurt is up in Heaven now.
(He was right, that does make me laugh 😉)
April 22, 2019
Anticonformista, stralunato, simpatico, dissacrante, lucido, tenero Vonnegut.
«Avevo uno zio di nome Alex che, nei momenti in cui la vita era più piacevole - magari anche solo per una caraffa di limonata bevuta all'ombra - diceva: "Cosa c'è di più bello di questo?"
Se mio zio non l'avesse detto così spesso, qualcosa come cinque o sei volte al mese, forse non ci saremmo soffermati a notare quanto può essere gratificante a volte la vita».
«Avevo uno zio di nome Alex che, nei momenti in cui la vita era più piacevole - magari anche solo per una caraffa di limonata bevuta all'ombra - diceva: "Cosa c'è di più bello di questo?"
Se mio zio non l'avesse detto così spesso, qualcosa come cinque o sei volte al mese, forse non ci saremmo soffermati a notare quanto può essere gratificante a volte la vita».
March 5, 2025
A collection of graduation speeches and other speeches by Vonnegut. It contains good advice and interesting anecdotes.
June 14, 2021
This book made me miss a man I never had met, miss him (almost) like my own father. I have heard excerpts from these speeches over the years, they get published in parts or quoted in various newspaper accounts, and they are deserving as news, since they are from a great and insightful and entertaining writer who is also a smartass, sweet and endearing and angry/cynical all at once. A summary of what he has to say is simple: Be nice, play fair, be merciful, everything you need to hear in this greedy selfish angry crisis time. But why pick it up if that's the basic point? Because he is just disarming and charming and hilarious. Because he exemplifies the spirit of a humanitarian model that seems to be dying off. . . so this made me nostalgic. . .
An example of how he works is to make it clear he wouldn't want to be in a world where Jesus had NOT delivered the Sermon on the Mount, that the idea of mercy is the best idea in the history of the world, and to also suggest we follow the only advice his grandpa gave him, which is not to put anything sharp in your ears. That punchline is funny, right? Well, funnier from him, for sure. . .
The collection is somewhat repetitive, not edited as carefully as it could be, in my opinion. . . and there's a collection of quotes at the end, which are good, all memorable, and from the speeches, I suppose in case you just wanted to skip the speeches and read the zingers, I guess. These are the editor Dan Wakefield's favorite things his ol' buddy Kurt said. So the project feels sorta uneven, unpolished.
But on the whole it is worth spending a little time with, or giving for graduations. I know I will.
An example of how he works is to make it clear he wouldn't want to be in a world where Jesus had NOT delivered the Sermon on the Mount, that the idea of mercy is the best idea in the history of the world, and to also suggest we follow the only advice his grandpa gave him, which is not to put anything sharp in your ears. That punchline is funny, right? Well, funnier from him, for sure. . .
The collection is somewhat repetitive, not edited as carefully as it could be, in my opinion. . . and there's a collection of quotes at the end, which are good, all memorable, and from the speeches, I suppose in case you just wanted to skip the speeches and read the zingers, I guess. These are the editor Dan Wakefield's favorite things his ol' buddy Kurt said. So the project feels sorta uneven, unpolished.
But on the whole it is worth spending a little time with, or giving for graduations. I know I will.
September 22, 2020
Τι ατομάρα ήταν αυτός ο Βόννεγκατ δεν ήξερα, τώρα όμως, διαβάζοντας αυτό το απολαυστικότατο βιβλιαράκι, έμαθα. Πολλά και σημαντικά θέματα ακουμπάει στις ομιλίες του αυτές απέναντι σε νέους που αποφοιτούν και είναι έτοιμοι να ριχτούν στην -αδιαμφισβήτητα- σκληρή ζωή, με έναν τρόπο που μόνο ένας ευφυής άνθρωπος θα το έκανε. Τρολλάρει και λέει τα πράγματα ακριβώς όπως είναι, παραθέτει τις απόψεις του με την υπογραφή μιας ιδιαίτερης ιδιοσυγκρασίας, λέγοντας πολλά αυτονόητα που καλό είναι να αρχίσουμε να τα παίρνουμε μέσα μας να τα κάνουμε πράξη, γιατί απλώς η ζωή είναι καλύτερη έτσι. Μου φάνηκαν πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες οι απόψεις του για τις "ελλείψεις" μιας μικρής οικογένειας σε αντίθεση με τη δυναμική μιας διευρυμένης οικογένειας-κοινότητας. Αισιοδοξία είναι η λέξη που μου αντηχεί στο κλείσιμο του βιβλίου. Συνάνθρωπε, όταν σου συμβαίνει κάτι καλό, συνειδητοποίησέ το εκείνη τη στιγμή και πες στον εαυτό σου και στον δίπλα σου: "Αν αυτό δεν είναι ωραίο, τότε τι είναι;" Και προσωπικά μέσα μου πιστεύω πως αυτό είναι κολλητικό και άρα αθροιστικά μόνο καλό μπορεί να φέρει σε μένα, σε σένα, σε ολόκληρη την κοινωνία.
Πήρα μια γεύση από τον συγγραφέα, ωστόσο θα πάρω μια μεγαλύτερη με την κυρίως βιβλιογραφία του μου φαίνεται.
Πήρα μια γεύση από τον συγγραφέα, ωστόσο θα πάρω μια μεγαλύτερη με την κυρίως βιβλιογραφία του μου φαίνεται.
March 7, 2023
"Se qualcuno dice che vi ama, controllate bene"
January 16, 2021
it is a terrible waste to be happy and not notice it.
маленьку книжечку воннегутових промов варто читати дозовано, по одній на вечір, щоб засинати з якою-небудь вірою в людство. і щоб не спотикатись об повтори, бо нагоди для промов були схожі, тому там і мотиви перегукуються, і деякі фрагменти кочують із одної в другу � це таки не найкращий зразок укладацької роботи. але в самих текстах стільки тепла, що, в принципі, не страшно: все одно в них хочеться плавати по колу.
маленьку книжечку воннегутових промов варто читати дозовано, по одній на вечір, щоб засинати з якою-небудь вірою в людство. і щоб не спотикатись об повтори, бо нагоди для промов були схожі, тому там і мотиви перегукуються, і деякі фрагменти кочують із одної в другу � це таки не найкращий зразок укладацької роботи. але в самих текстах стільки тепла, що, в принципі, не страшно: все одно в них хочеться плавати по колу.
June 19, 2014
Been way too long since I've read Vonnegut. This is a great collection of speeches that highlights his simply marvelous and marvelously simple humanist ideas.
Speaking of simply marvelous, my beautiful new daughter Reese Elisabeth Floridia enjoyed it too:
And speaking of being a marvelous human, here is what Nanny Vonnegut was magnanimous enough to draw just for Reese:
All I have left to say is "Boy, isn't this nice?!"
Speaking of simply marvelous, my beautiful new daughter Reese Elisabeth Floridia enjoyed it too:
And speaking of being a marvelous human, here is what Nanny Vonnegut was magnanimous enough to draw just for Reese:
All I have left to say is "Boy, isn't this nice?!"
October 15, 2015
Di solito mi tengo alla larga da queste raccolte posticce.
Però con Vonnegut si può fare un’eccezione.
Per me è un classico libro da bagno. Ti siedi lì, apri a caso e leggi.
Un po� sorridi e un po� rifletti. E intanto fai le cose tue.
Il mio errore probabilmente è stato di leggerlo tutto d’un fiato e alla fine risulta forse un po� ripetitivo e troppo “sognante�.
Comunque ci sono un sacco di pezzi che potreste rigiocarvi ed è già un buon motivo per darci più di un occhio. [68/100]
Le donne vogliono un sacco di persone con cui parlare. Di cosa vogliono parlare? Vogliono parlare di tutto.
Gli uomini vogliono un sacco di amici � e non vogliono che ci si arrabbi con loro.�
Però con Vonnegut si può fare un’eccezione.
Per me è un classico libro da bagno. Ti siedi lì, apri a caso e leggi.
Un po� sorridi e un po� rifletti. E intanto fai le cose tue.
Il mio errore probabilmente è stato di leggerlo tutto d’un fiato e alla fine risulta forse un po� ripetitivo e troppo “sognante�.
Comunque ci sono un sacco di pezzi che potreste rigiocarvi ed è già un buon motivo per darci più di un occhio. [68/100]
Le donne vogliono un sacco di persone con cui parlare. Di cosa vogliono parlare? Vogliono parlare di tutto.
Gli uomini vogliono un sacco di amici � e non vogliono che ci si arrabbi con loro.�
July 31, 2013
“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.�
I keep meaning to read more Kurt Vonnegut. somehow did not have the transcendent effect on me it has on so many other reader. But this collection of graduation speeches Vonnegut made in his later years, as an oft-invited speaker, paints a picture of a warm human being with gentle humor and some degree of self-depreciating wisdom. He was president of the Humanitarian Society, one of those squishy liberals who vex Christians so much by actually believing in all the stuff Jesus said without believing in Jesus.
�1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.�
Affectionate toward his country, while also disgusted as hell, Vonnegut was a man who saw Dresden burn in World War II, and then watched Korea and Viet Nam and the Cold War happen. His speeches are full of warmth and humanity and jokes that range from funny to canned. This collection, If This Isn't Nice, What Is?, was a free download from Audible. Since it collects several of his speeches, you can hear him repeating themes, even lines, but a fairly full picture of his philosophy emerges.
“If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don't have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.�
He was a great guy. It would have been an honor to meet him. This collection has no truly brilliant gems of wisdom or scintillating one-liners, but it's certainly worth having for any Vonnegut fan, and worth listening to if you have any interest in the man at all.
“True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.�
July 23, 2021
Notice when you're happy, and know when you've got enough.
February 20, 2018
"And that tiny part of the population which appreciates the arts is well taken care of, is often appalled by how much good stuff there is to read and see and listen to. We have plenty of art in America. It is social justice which is in gruesomely short supply." (103)Despite the repetition in these speeches across the collection, and in my case, the repetition that came from having just read A Man Without a Country—quite a bit of which overlaps, sometimes verbatim, with the speeches included here—things did not become tedious. When something is good and funny and witty enough, repetition is welcome (but maybe don't read all of the speeches in a row; give them a little time to air).
January 27, 2019
Capisco le rimostranze di chi lo ha letto e lo ha trovato ripetitivo. Quest'opera è infatti una raccolta di 15 discorsi tenuti da Vonnegut in altrettante università americane che non sono stati scritti con l'intento di farne un libro.
Il canovaccio da cui trae ispirazione è quasi sempre lo stesso, così come i vari aneddoti e le battute di spirito.
Se Vonnegut avesse saputo di questa trovata editoriale sarebbe stato di sicuro più vario! 😁
Resta comunque una lettura fondamentale per capire ulteriori sfaccettature del pensiero di uno degli scrittori più importanti della letteratura americana contemporanea.
È una lettura sotto molti aspetti illuminante ma che consiglio solo dopo aver letto almeno un paio dei suoi romanzi per contestualizzarla al meglio.
Il canovaccio da cui trae ispirazione è quasi sempre lo stesso, così come i vari aneddoti e le battute di spirito.
Se Vonnegut avesse saputo di questa trovata editoriale sarebbe stato di sicuro più vario! 😁
Resta comunque una lettura fondamentale per capire ulteriori sfaccettature del pensiero di uno degli scrittori più importanti della letteratura americana contemporanea.
È una lettura sotto molti aspetti illuminante ma che consiglio solo dopo aver letto almeno un paio dei suoi romanzi per contestualizzarla al meglio.
May 18, 2022
George Shultz, some old jackass from the Reagan State Department, spoke at my graduation. I remember nothing about the speech. All I can tell you about George Shultz today is that supposedly he had a tiger tattooed on his wrinkly white derrière from back in his Marine Corps days.
So it goes.
Had Kurt Vonnegut spoken at my graduation, that would have been nice. It would have been Uncle Alex level nice, even pitcher of lemonade nice, and I'd probably still be able to remember a few of the good words spoken to us by the author before we left childhood behind and headed off into that big, cold world of adult responsibility with our expensive education under our collective belts.
In case you missed it back when this book was posthumously published about ten years ago, If This Isn't Nice, What Is? is a small collection of some of the speeches Vonnegut gave during his lifetime, the majority of them commencement addresses, although there are a couple of other gems in here, a speech to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union and another he gave in Chicago upon receiving the Carl Sandburg Award. It's all great, although a tad repetitive in places, and there are several laugh out loud moments because Vonnegut is wicked funny, even when he's just speechifying.
Sure, if we rated this book objectively, it probably doesn't deserve those five stars when you compare it against some of the great novels by the author, but at this point in this sorry world in which we live, anything by Kurt Vonnegut is going to get five stars from me.
And speak of the devil, there he is on the back of the book looking quite dapper for an old guy, and a lot less rumpled than in most pics of the author, especially in the last book cover photo I remember from my copy of Jailbird, when he's sitting on the edge of a bed having a cigarette as he stares out a window, a dish full of smoked-out stubs on the table next to him.
And P.S., don't go looking here for that commencement address about wearing sunscreen. Vonnegut had nothing to do with that speech, dummies, despite what you may have heard. The "Wear sunscreen" address was actually a column by Mary Schmich, one of my favorite writers at the Chicago Tribune and a very nice woman herself.
So it goes.
Had Kurt Vonnegut spoken at my graduation, that would have been nice. It would have been Uncle Alex level nice, even pitcher of lemonade nice, and I'd probably still be able to remember a few of the good words spoken to us by the author before we left childhood behind and headed off into that big, cold world of adult responsibility with our expensive education under our collective belts.
In case you missed it back when this book was posthumously published about ten years ago, If This Isn't Nice, What Is? is a small collection of some of the speeches Vonnegut gave during his lifetime, the majority of them commencement addresses, although there are a couple of other gems in here, a speech to the Indiana Civil Liberties Union and another he gave in Chicago upon receiving the Carl Sandburg Award. It's all great, although a tad repetitive in places, and there are several laugh out loud moments because Vonnegut is wicked funny, even when he's just speechifying.
Sure, if we rated this book objectively, it probably doesn't deserve those five stars when you compare it against some of the great novels by the author, but at this point in this sorry world in which we live, anything by Kurt Vonnegut is going to get five stars from me.
And speak of the devil, there he is on the back of the book looking quite dapper for an old guy, and a lot less rumpled than in most pics of the author, especially in the last book cover photo I remember from my copy of Jailbird, when he's sitting on the edge of a bed having a cigarette as he stares out a window, a dish full of smoked-out stubs on the table next to him.
And P.S., don't go looking here for that commencement address about wearing sunscreen. Vonnegut had nothing to do with that speech, dummies, despite what you may have heard. The "Wear sunscreen" address was actually a column by Mary Schmich, one of my favorite writers at the Chicago Tribune and a very nice woman herself.
June 15, 2023
A collection of graduation speeches given by Kurt Vonnegut over the years. There are overlapping elements� such as what his uncle liked to say, perhaps while sipping lemonade under a shade tree: “If this isn’t nice, what is?�
And thus the title to this book. I didn’t mind the repetition, because we all need to be reminded of gentle wisdom, to notice and appreciate our surroundings, to be grateful for teachers, reminded of the value of the wisdom of role models like Jesus Christ. Vonnegut is a humanist, but is very fond of traditional wisdom such as The Sermon on the Mount (often ignored, even by Christians).
Be kind to each other, he reminds us. Be kind to the people around you and let’s all work together to make the world better.
He’s funny and wise and his novels were life preservers when I was a morbid teenager, helping to buoy me up, keep me afloat. Thank you, I now say. Thank you for all my teachers and for the luxury of food and an education. Thank you.
And thus the title to this book. I didn’t mind the repetition, because we all need to be reminded of gentle wisdom, to notice and appreciate our surroundings, to be grateful for teachers, reminded of the value of the wisdom of role models like Jesus Christ. Vonnegut is a humanist, but is very fond of traditional wisdom such as The Sermon on the Mount (often ignored, even by Christians).
Be kind to each other, he reminds us. Be kind to the people around you and let’s all work together to make the world better.
He’s funny and wise and his novels were life preservers when I was a morbid teenager, helping to buoy me up, keep me afloat. Thank you, I now say. Thank you for all my teachers and for the luxury of food and an education. Thank you.
November 5, 2020
There are some remarkable speeches in this book, including the one he delivered in 172 while the Vietnam War was still ongoing, and his comments therein could be repeated without modification today. I've always loved Kurt Vonnegut, and the older I get, the more I appreciate his worldview. "Godammit babies, you've gotta be kind!"
The only reason I don't give it five stars is that Kurt re-used some stories and statements, so in a few cases the speeches repeat each other, but it's easy enough to skim the repeated pieces. It's interesting reading this at this time, because Kurt has little patience for "high art", and I am concurrently reading a book on art appreciation by Julian Barnes....;-)
The only reason I don't give it five stars is that Kurt re-used some stories and statements, so in a few cases the speeches repeat each other, but it's easy enough to skim the repeated pieces. It's interesting reading this at this time, because Kurt has little patience for "high art", and I am concurrently reading a book on art appreciation by Julian Barnes....;-)
March 23, 2020
I wish I could watch these lectures.
October 30, 2020
4.5.
Quiero leer hasta los posos del café, los derrapes de en el váter que dejó este vagabundo espacial llamado Kurt.
Puede parecer una pena que algunas ideas se repitan pero son tan valiosas que incluso se agradece, tal vez así se me olviden un poquito más tarde.
Quiero leer hasta los posos del café, los derrapes de en el váter que dejó este vagabundo espacial llamado Kurt.
Puede parecer una pena que algunas ideas se repitan pero son tan valiosas que incluso se agradece, tal vez así se me olviden un poquito más tarde.
November 19, 2015
Though the introduction describes this as a collection of speeches which were written for each oration, as opposed to having a standardized speech adjusted per each separate occasion, the repetition of ideas and phrases makes it feel as though you have already read it all about halfway through. Regardless, Kurt is always a good read and the bits of tangent wisdom stand out amongst those which have been stated before.
December 11, 2016
Kurt Vonnegut is the type of author who, whenever I read him, I just feel better. Deep in my soul, I feel better.
This is a collection of speeches he's given, mostly to college graduates, and there are a few repetitions in the stories and anecdotes in here, but I still think it's utterly worth a read.
Vonnegut is as relevant, humane, understanding, wise and witty as always. And these speeches truly made me realize exactly who keen an observer he was of the world. He just got it. He got the white privilege, racial and economic inequality, he understood the power of education, of small communities and he understood, more than anything, how important it is to be kind and merciful.
I think you should read this. In order to convince you further, have a few quotes:
“Being merciful, it seems to me, is the only good idea we have had so far. Perhaps we will get another good idea by and by—and then we will have two good ideas.�
“So it seems quite likely to me that young people of today in the United States of America are not in fact apathetic, but only look that way to people who are used to getting their ecstasies from hatred, among other things, of course.�
“Don’t give up on books. They feel so good—their friendly heft. The sweet reluctance of their pages when you turn them with your sensitive fingertips. A large part of our brains is devoted to deciding whether what our hands are touching is good or bad for us. Any brain worth a nickel knows books are good for us.�
“I told her that what made life almost worth living for me was the saints I met. These were people who behaved compassionately and capably, no matter what, and they could be anywhere.�
The last one especially I relate to. It is the people I meet, those full of indescribably kindness, as they were somehow born to shed light unto the world by simply being present, it's those people, who give me hope, who make me believe, that all in all, humanity might be decent, might be good.
This is a collection of speeches he's given, mostly to college graduates, and there are a few repetitions in the stories and anecdotes in here, but I still think it's utterly worth a read.
Vonnegut is as relevant, humane, understanding, wise and witty as always. And these speeches truly made me realize exactly who keen an observer he was of the world. He just got it. He got the white privilege, racial and economic inequality, he understood the power of education, of small communities and he understood, more than anything, how important it is to be kind and merciful.
I think you should read this. In order to convince you further, have a few quotes:
“Being merciful, it seems to me, is the only good idea we have had so far. Perhaps we will get another good idea by and by—and then we will have two good ideas.�
“So it seems quite likely to me that young people of today in the United States of America are not in fact apathetic, but only look that way to people who are used to getting their ecstasies from hatred, among other things, of course.�
“Don’t give up on books. They feel so good—their friendly heft. The sweet reluctance of their pages when you turn them with your sensitive fingertips. A large part of our brains is devoted to deciding whether what our hands are touching is good or bad for us. Any brain worth a nickel knows books are good for us.�
“I told her that what made life almost worth living for me was the saints I met. These were people who behaved compassionately and capably, no matter what, and they could be anywhere.�
The last one especially I relate to. It is the people I meet, those full of indescribably kindness, as they were somehow born to shed light unto the world by simply being present, it's those people, who give me hope, who make me believe, that all in all, humanity might be decent, might be good.
March 27, 2024
"μόνο έναν κανόνα ξέρω . Πρέπει να φέρεσαι με καλοσύνη,γαμωτο ."
Είσαι απόφοιτος πανεπιστημίου ,έχεις μόλις πάρει το πτυχίο σου με κόπο και βάσανα και πρόκειται άμεσα να ανοίξεις τα φτερά σου και να πετάξεις από το τελευταίο καταφύγιο ,την τελευταία ασφαλή φωλιά προς το άγνωστο .ποιος καλύτερος να σε ξεπροβοδισει με μια heartfelt ομιλία για το τι είναι η ζωή ,η εκπαίδευση ,οι καθηγητές κλπ. από έναν αθυροστομο, αμερικανό συγγραφέα ,πατέρα 7 παιδιών (τρία εκ των οποίων ήταν βιολογικά του παιδιά,τρία ήταν τα παιδιά της αδερφής του που πέθανε με 24 ώρες διαφορά από τον σύζυγό της ,σε μια φοβερά κακή σύμπτωση της ζωής και άλλο ένα υιοθέτησε με τη δεύτερη σύζυγό του ),Σκορπιό στο ζώδιο (his words ,not mine)με φοβερά commitment issues(my words,not his)?η απάντηση : κανεις .κανένας δε θα μπορούσε να είναι πιο περιγραφικός,αστείος ,συγκινητικός ,με ιστορίες που επαναλάμβανε ξανά και ξανά στις ομιλίες του οι οποίες όμως είχαν κάτι το πολύ ιδιαίτερο και συγκινητικό και απλό .οι οποίες είχαν σαν τελικό συμπέρασμα ότι οι άνθρωποι απλά χρειάζονται τους ανθρώπους .ότι τζάμπα τρέχουμε πίσω από το ατελείωτο κυνήγι της επιτυχίας των χρημάτων ,της δουλειάς σε μεγάλες εταιρίες κλπ .ότι αν κάτι αξίζει ,είναι ένα ποτήρι λεμονάδα κάτω από τον ίσκιο μιας μηλιάς το καλοκαίρι και φυσικά η συνειδητοποίηση ότι έχεις όλα όσα χρειάζεσαι εδώ και τώρα ώστε να πεις "αν αυτό δεν είναι ωραίο ,τότε τι είναι ?".και να το κάνουμε συνήθεια μας αυτό. Να το λέμε συχνά .
Ξεκινώ να γνωρίσω καλύτερα τον κύριο Βόνεγκατ και νομίζω πως αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν η πιο γλυκιά αρχή..
� � � �/5 αστέρια
"Πρέπει συνέχεια να κάνουμε βουτιές από ψηλούς γκρεμούς και ,καθώς πέφτουμε, να αξιοποιούμε και να αναπτύσσουμε τα φτερά μας"
Είσαι απόφοιτος πανεπιστημίου ,έχεις μόλις πάρει το πτυχίο σου με κόπο και βάσανα και πρόκειται άμεσα να ανοίξεις τα φτερά σου και να πετάξεις από το τελευταίο καταφύγιο ,την τελευταία ασφαλή φωλιά προς το άγνωστο .ποιος καλύτερος να σε ξεπροβοδισει με μια heartfelt ομιλία για το τι είναι η ζωή ,η εκπαίδευση ,οι καθηγητές κλπ. από έναν αθυροστομο, αμερικανό συγγραφέα ,πατέρα 7 παιδιών (τρία εκ των οποίων ήταν βιολογικά του παιδιά,τρία ήταν τα παιδιά της αδερφής του που πέθανε με 24 ώρες διαφορά από τον σύζυγό της ,σε μια φοβερά κακή σύμπτωση της ζωής και άλλο ένα υιοθέτησε με τη δεύτερη σύζυγό του ),Σκορπιό στο ζώδιο (his words ,not mine)με φοβερά commitment issues(my words,not his)?η απάντηση : κανεις .κανένας δε θα μπορούσε να είναι πιο περιγραφικός,αστείος ,συγκινητικός ,με ιστορίες που επαναλάμβανε ξανά και ξανά στις ομιλίες του οι οποίες όμως είχαν κάτι το πολύ ιδιαίτερο και συγκινητικό και απλό .οι οποίες είχαν σαν τελικό συμπέρασμα ότι οι άνθρωποι απλά χρειάζονται τους ανθρώπους .ότι τζάμπα τρέχουμε πίσω από το ατελείωτο κυνήγι της επιτυχίας των χρημάτων ,της δουλειάς σε μεγάλες εταιρίες κλπ .ότι αν κάτι αξίζει ,είναι ένα ποτήρι λεμονάδα κάτω από τον ίσκιο μιας μηλιάς το καλοκαίρι και φυσικά η συνειδητοποίηση ότι έχεις όλα όσα χρειάζεσαι εδώ και τώρα ώστε να πεις "αν αυτό δεν είναι ωραίο ,τότε τι είναι ?".και να το κάνουμε συνήθεια μας αυτό. Να το λέμε συχνά .
Ξεκινώ να γνωρίσω καλύτερα τον κύριο Βόνεγκατ και νομίζω πως αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν η πιο γλυκιά αρχή..
� � � �/5 αστέρια
"Πρέπει συνέχεια να κάνουμε βουτιές από ψηλούς γκρεμούς και ,καθώς πέφτουμε, να αξιοποιούμε και να αναπτύσσουμε τα φτερά μας"
October 10, 2019
Ha az Éden a folyónál c. kötetnél át is rohant rajtam a futó gondolat, hogy biztos ki kellett-é ezt adni (ha nem rohant volna át, elvetni sem tudtam volna), itt ez fel sem merült. Sőt, még azt is megkockáztatom, hogy ezek a beszédek, amikor Vonnegut közönség előtt osztja az észt, ez az ő igazi műfaja. Kellő tömörséggel láthatjuk itt univerzumának kvintesszenciáját: sorjáznak a megszokott vesszőparipák, mint amilyen a vonneguti „nagy család� eszméje, vagy a kiállás a szocializmus gondolata mellett, amit következetesen a krisztusi boldogságmondatok analógiájaként értelmez, valamint a republikánus gonoszság szarkasztikus ostorozása � mindez azonban pont olyan terjedelemben, ahogy azt kell és illik. De még ennél is látványosabb, mennyire imádja Vonnegut a közönséget � már az érett regényekből is kitűnik, hogy ha nincs, hát teremt magának egyet, csak hogy legyen kinek kibeszélni a szövegből. Amikor pedig a közönség valóban kézzelfogható, hát megeszi őket reggelire: viccet mesél, vallomást tesz, összezavar és megvilágít, hol patetikus, hol provokatív (mert mindkettőt megengedheti magának), megszavaztatja őket, és ha kell, a ruhaujjból virágcsokrot varázsol elő nekik. Ő a Keserű Bohóc, a Nagy Bölcs Lakli, Mark Twain XX. századi reinkarnációja� ami felelősség. És egyben lehetőség, amire rá is játszik. Minden ütemtévesztéssel, ismétléssel, illetve a szerkesztés hibáival együtt jár az öt csillag. Vonnegutnak meg tündököljön az örök fényesség olyasformán, ahogy ő tündökölt itt nekünk. Mert mi szép, ha nem ez?
May 14, 2018
Having come across the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in one of my earliest visits to Indianapolis, I bought this edition of If This Isn't Nice, What Is?: Advice to the Young—The Graduation Speeches which I gave to my daughter in 2014 for her White Coat cerermony. She graduated from Butler University with a PharmD degree a few days ago. I was going to gift this expanded edition, but decided to keep this one for myself as this includes four pieces of journalism.
Such sweet, at times straightforward and thought-provoking, collection of speeches and essays. Although a wonderful college graduation gift, a wonderful little gem of a book to gift for a college student's milestone.
Such sweet, at times straightforward and thought-provoking, collection of speeches and essays. Although a wonderful college graduation gift, a wonderful little gem of a book to gift for a college student's milestone.
September 24, 2022
O que é que um não licenciado tem para oferecer a finalistas universitários? Conselhos humanistas� alguns hilariantes, outros cruéis, mas todos eles revestidos por uma deliciosa ironia.
Obra que reúne um conjunto de discursos que Kurt Vonnegut deu para finalistas universitários, durante as suas graduações.
“O meu pai era louco por armas, como Ernest Hemingway, principalmente para provar que não era efeminado, isto apesar de ser arquitecto e pintor. Não se embebedava nem abatia pessoas. Bastava-lhe disparar contra animais.�
Obra que reúne um conjunto de discursos que Kurt Vonnegut deu para finalistas universitários, durante as suas graduações.
“O meu pai era louco por armas, como Ernest Hemingway, principalmente para provar que não era efeminado, isto apesar de ser arquitecto e pintor. Não se embebedava nem abatia pessoas. Bastava-lhe disparar contra animais.�
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