Quirks and crumbs of waste – this is how Thomas Mann ironically understated the "hundreds of individual inspirations" from which he, like his protagonist Gustav von Aschenbach, has "piled up to greatness" his works through daily labor. The mosaic of 150 quirks in this book is composed of reflections on Thomas Mann's life and work, snippets of thoughts on common questions and rare quotes, and commentaries on relevant topics such as "little humor" and "higher cheerfulness." These parts come together to create a relief-like portrait of Thomas Mann. Perhaps, despite their triviality, there might even be an unknown detail or two here and there. Especially for students, teachers, and scholars, there is much to discover that is both informative and entertaining. Even the critical literature professor, who surely would have written a more profound book than this one.