Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You

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What do Mae West, John F. Kennedy, Victor Hugo, and H. L. Mencken have in common? They all indulged in chiasmus-a literary device in which word order is reversed to hilarious or poignant effect. When Mae West said, “It’s not the men in my life, it’s the life in my men,” she was using chiasmus; when John F. Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” he was doing the same. Dr. Mardy Grothe has compiled hundreds of examples of chiasmus in this whimsically illustrated collection, bringing this witty and thought-provoking device out of obscurity and into the public imagination.Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool YouIntroduction: “Pardon Me, Do You Know What Chiasmus Means?”
Chapter 1: Chiastic Wordplay
Chapter 2: Chiastic Maxims to Guide Your Life
Chapter 3: Chiastic Comparisons
Chapter 4: The Battle of the Sexes, Chiasmus Style
Chapter 5: Chiastic Compliments and Insults
Chapter 6: Chiasmus on Stage and Screen
Chapter 7: Political Chiasmus
Chapter 8: Chiasmus in the World of Sports
Chapter 9: Chiasmus in Advertising
Chapter 10: Chiasmus for CEOs
Chapter 11: Chiasmus for Book Lovers
Chapter 12: Chiasmus for Lovers
Chapter 13: Chiasmus in Marriage and Family Life
Chapter 14: Chiastic Insights from Great Philosophers
Chapter 15: Chiastic Repartee
Chapter 16: Implied Chiasmus
Index”There is plenty of delight in this overdue collection.” —Houston ChronicleMardy Grothe, Ph.D., is a psychologist, marriage counselor, and management consultant. Coauthor of three business books, he has been extensively interviewed on radio and television, on topics from problem bosses to the art of the insult. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.US

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