Peter E. Greulich's Blog for Short Thoughts, Insights and Witticisms

Reviews of Three Works by B. C. Forbes

6/29/2022

Links are provided below to three books by B. C. Forbes: (1) "Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life," (2) "Little Bits about Big Men," and (3) "America's 50 Foremost Business Leaders."

Picture of B. C. Forbes with several of his books.

Selecting this image links to B. C. Forbes' publishing and books home page.

The "Scrapbook" is a collection of quotes and witticisms that were printed in FORBES Magazine for decades.

"Little Bits about Big Men" ran as a special insert in FORBES Magazine for a few years. This is a compilation of these and other insights picked up by B. C. Forbes in his interviews over the decades.

"America's Fifty Foremost Business Leaders" covers a span of time from 1917 to 1947: From the founding of FORBES Magazine to its thirtieth anniversary. These men were voted the best-of-the-best by their peers in 1947.

Scrapbook of Thoughts

Little Bits - Big Men

Fifty Business Leaders

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Calvin Coolidge: Old Thoughts but Forever Truths

6/20/2022

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"Little progress can be made by merely attempting to repress what is evil; our great hope lies in developing what is good."

Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States

Picture of the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge.

Calvin Coolidge: Wiki Commons

"We do not need more national development, we need more spiritual development. We do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more law, we need more religion.

"We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen."

Calvin Coolidge

"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."

Calvin Coolidge

I have just finished reading Volume I of "The Forbes Scrapbook of Thoughts on the Business of Life." It is amazing how just reading a few of the thoughts of a man or woman can be enough to make me wonder why I was never taught more about great men and women of American history … or, maybe, to keep the blame where it best rests:

Why I have been negligent in my studies until I am an old man who can see the end of days ahead? Do not waste thy youth, young man or woman!

Peter E. Greulich

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J. Kenfield Morley: Old Thoughts but Forever Truths

6/13/2022

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"I can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or I can rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.

"It's how you look at it."

J. Kenfield Morley,
THINK Magazine, February 1936

This quote also shows up credited to Mr. Morley in B. C. Forbes' Scrapbook of Thoughts: Volume I from 1953. Trying to find information on Mr. Morley proved challenging. It seems that if Wikipedia doesn't know about you, you just don't exist, eh? Which means I don't exist either, right? (Thank God!)

So, I did a little digging, and this is what I found.

Who was J. Kenfield Morley? J. Kenfield Morley was a Sales Promotion Manager for the Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, Illinois. He wrote the article, "Some Things I Believe" that was printed in the February, 1937 issue of The Rotarian.

This quote was not in this article, but there are a multitude of other quotes. Here are a few that seem as relevant today, as they seemed to Mr. Morley some 85 years ago.

I believe that the facilities of modern travel have made it increasingly difficult to escape the vulgarian.

J. Kenfield Morley

I believe that a man can save 20 years of his life by studying the experience of others.
I believe that if a person could have half his wishes, he would treble his troubles
I believe that you may surround a skunk with plush and velvet, but he’ll always be a skunk.
I believe that the real cost of anything is the amount of work required to earn the money to purchase it.
I believe the recipe for happiness to be just enough money to pay the monthly bills you acquire, a little surplus to give you confidence, a little too much work each day, enthusiasm for your work, a substantial share of good health, a couple of real friends, and a wife and children to share life’s beauty with you.

Cheers,

- Peter E.

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Reviews of Three Works by B. C. Forbes

Calvin Coolidge: Old Thoughts but Forever Truths

J. Kenfield Morley: Old Thoughts but Forever Truths

Peter E. Greulich

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