When is a book not a book? This is not a brain teaser but rather what I was thinking as I went through what looked like a book but certainly did not read like one. The book has a cover, a binding, pages, a table of contents, all the characteristics of a regular book. But this is nothing like reading a regular book. This one provides a unique reading experience. I am speaking of the most recent publication by Seth M. Siegel, Other People's Words: Wisdom for an Inspired and Productive Life. If Seth's name sounds familiar, it's because he's The New York Times’ best-selling author of Let There Be Water and Troubled Water, both of which are excellent reading for water professionals as well as for nonwater professionals. For me, a regular book generally has a plot with a beginning, middle, and end. There are characters you get to know and whom you either root for or against as you turn the pages with anticipation. The book may build a case for something, providing knowledge by framing and building an argument. Other People's Words is carefully organized. Still, you won't want to turn the pages quickly—whatever page you're on, you will want to ponder the words, let them sink in. While it is a learning experience, there's no argument being made—just thoughts to absorb that leave you mentally refreshed and perhaps even renewed. What is unique about this book? On the one hand, you might think of it simply as a collection of 1,200 quotes—other people's words—organized into 11 well-thought-out themes and further divided into more than 200 categories. But for all the book's structure, its contents are not that simple. I couldn't have anticipated how I would respond to reading Other People's Words. I thought I would plow through these quotes. While not all of them resonated with me, many made me pause and reflect on their meaning. Several sent me searching to learn more about the person to whom the quote was attributed and about the larger context of the quote. My reality was that I turned the pages slowly, reflected on the words, and often found myself feeling inspired after reading a section. But I never went through more than one section at a time. The context of the book was enhanced because I read the introduction and “Note to the Reader.” I don't tend to read sections like these because they just aren't interesting to me. But for some reason, in this case I did, and it made a huge difference. These introductory sections provided important personal insights about Seth. And without giving away the ending, so to speak, the introduction is helpful in understanding how Seth came to collect these quotes and why he wanted to share them. For now, let's just say a sock drawer is involved. Recently I interviewed Seth. I would read him a quote and, without exception, he could tell me who said it. He is intimate with each of these quotes and has an encyclopedic memory. Then I asked what I thought would be impossible to answer: “Of all the quotes in the book”—remember, there are 1,200 of them—“which is your favorite?” Seth acknowledged that each quote has special meaning to him, that he remembers when he heard the quote or came across it, and that each had an impact on him. But without much hesitation he said his favorite quote—one that is “a mantra [he thinks] about every single day”—is “Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming,” by Matthew Arnold. Knowing Seth as I do, it made perfect sense to me that he'd find that quote to be the most meaningful. I said that, although my copy of his book is dog-eared, underlined, and chock full of sticky notes, each note marking a quote that I found powerful, the one I found most meaningful was by Martha Washington: “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition and not on our circumstances.” Seth said that a big reason he wanted to make these quotes available was because he felt that at times, when people are wrestling with a challenge or other life issues, quotes like these can provide perspective, vision, and clarity. Ultimately, Seth believes that everyone can live a life of value and meaning—of being and becoming—and he hopes that in some way his collection of quotes can inspire a happier, more fulfilling life, as they have for him. In the end, some may find Other People's Words to simply be a collection of quotes, but I believe that many of you will find it a wonderful reading experience unlike any other “regular” book. I sure did.
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Open Access
Feb 10, 2023
Sergei Abramovich 
