Description
Anecdotes are stories with points. They are tools-nail-sinkers to drive home arguments firmly. The recognition of their usefulness goes back centuries from Lincoln, America's greatest anecdotist. They are the origin of all teaching.
In their old form they were known as parables. By means of them Jesus Christ taught. The prophets and sages of all ancient religion and wisdom employed the simple, effective parable. "I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock." "Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow." "A certain man had two sons." Thus, stories with points were made to embody profound teachings. So the Greek slave, Aesop, sagely propounded his fables. Today the true anecdote is still the counterpart of the parable and fable. Time has tended to shorten it somewhat and, as an attribute of our temperament, we have made it often funny. The majority of the anecdotes in this book are humorous. Many are serious and thoughtful. All prove something. The thing to remember is, many jokes are anecdotes but not all anecdotes are jokes.
To see best how to use the wealth of anecdotes in this book for your own needs, for speaking, teaching, preaching, lecturing, arguing or writing, read the rest of this introduction carefully. Study it before you proceed to the selection and adapting of your material.
