This book is the result of more than a decade of work. It is one of the most comprehensive and qualitative sources of sayings from any single author, consisting of over two thousand different aphorisms on more than six hundred topics. The book is intended to inspire and serve as a practical guide to living a better life. It starts with an overview of aphorisms, describing what they are in relation to other sayings such as proverbs and quotations. Also included in the introduction are interviews with contemporary aphorists and aphorist scholars, describing the role that this ancient literary form now serves today. The book concludes with lists of both classical and current aphorists for the interested reader who wants to pursue more.