Reviews for Toasts : over 1,500 of the best toasts, sentiments, blessings, and graces
Library Journal
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This is a book that will be helpful to anyone who ever expects to be called on to give a toast. It begins with a brief introductory history of toasts and toasting, pointing out that the custom of drinking to the health and prosperity of another is an ancient one. The book is arranged by broad topics from age (``May you enter Heaven late'') to weddings (``May you grow old on one pillow'') to friendship (``Here's to a friend. He knows you well and likes you just the same.''). Some of the quotes are from literature or famous people, but there are many old anonymous ones, too. Sections on effective toasting, odd customs, and the like are also included. Libraries needing to expand their quotations collections might want to buy this volume.-- Rebecca Wondriska, Trinity Coll. Lib., Hartford, Ct. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Covering traditional occasions such as anniversaries and weddings as well as a variety of other "toastable" events, this book organizes 1,500 toasts under 75 alphabetically arranged subject headings. Included are ethnic, military, birthday, and holiday toasts. There are also toasts related to sports, aging, food, parents, and even cheese and champagne! The toasts have been gathered from a variety of toast books, many of which date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. An interesting history of toasting is included, along with tongue-in-cheek guidelines for effective toasting and a "toast and tipple" glossary.<^P>If all this sounds familiar, it may be because Dickson published a book in 1981 with the title Toasts: The Complete Book of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, Curses and Graces (Delacorte). While the word curses has been dropped from the current title, they are included and this slight variation in wording is indicative of the extent of revision. There are approximately 250 more quotations here, but 40 fewer sources cited. The table of contents is the same, and the introduction and history of toasting are only minimally revised. Twenty line drawings appear in this edition, which is unfortunate because they replace reproductions of art prints, old wine labels, photographs, and illustrations from turn-of-the-century toast collections, which were a delightful part of the earlier version.<^P>Libraries owning the earlier title will not find enough here to warrant replacing it, but those that need to fill a collection gap will find Toasts a good choice, since it contains unusual material not found in other books on the subject. (Reviewed Nov. 15, 1991)
