This unique work, the fruit of its author's long obsession with concise brevity, is at once an anthology of aphorisms, a glossary of philosophy, an etymological dictionary and a treasure trove of metaphors. Its brief definitions, chosen over the years from among the most diverse authors and the most disparate cultures, compose an unorthodox dictionary for readers who already know the meaning of the words. For each definition is a discovery that concentrates its author's vision of the world in a few words.