Amazon.com
If you're serious about writing and speaking language that crackles with delightful and obscure words, then you must have this book. As indicated by the title, it is a selective thesaurus containing 50,000 words and phrases, focusing on the more arcane or colorful choices. The main weakness is lack of cross-referencing, but it is nonetheless a superlative supplement to standard thesauri or synonym dictionaries.
Book Description
Anyone looking to improve his or her vocabulary and anyone who loves words will be enthralled by this unique and impressive thesaurus that provides only the most unusual -- or is it recondite? --words for each entry.
Customer Reviews:
Extremely disappointed.......2006-03-22
I purchased this and another thesaurus hoping to find some creative words to use when I write. This was extremely disappointing. There are definitely some impressive words, but few that could be used even in a scholarly article or report. If you have several thesaurus reference books, this might make an interesting addition, but don't expect to use it very often.
Words can't describe how good this book is.......2006-02-23
I can't seem to express just how helpful this book was to me and my pursuit of intillectual goodness.
Entertaining and Useful.......2005-01-21
I received this book as a gift and immediately realized it's not a reference volume. I later noticed that an arrogant neighbor of mine also owns it, and I also noticed his copy appeared not to have been read or otherwise perused. It then occurred to me that, to have real value, a book like this should be USED. I decided to take this book to the office, and every time I write an interoffice email, to replace one of my own words with a term from this book. Carefully and seriously done, it can really upgrade your interoffice communication by giving you a tiny verbal edge, and will subconsciously upgrade other people's respect for your writing skills. And if some of them are made to feel small through my skookum vocabulary (as mentioned in another review), that's just tough rocks.
Swimming your way out of word soup!.......2004-12-21
Though this little Thesaurus will never replace Roget's, it certainly is an entertaining and often surprisingly useful source for those who wish to test the limits of their vocabulary.
Part jabberwocky and part expanded horizons, this easy to use reference is a particularly fine adjunct to those who are repeatedly asked to write essays on subjects nearly exhausted from prior attempts at creativity. Poets, arts writers, and perky correspondents beware! There ARE more words out there to play with than even the grandest personal verbal sandbox! A fun and useful book. Grady Harp, December 2004
Since I was a college student again at 43 years old.......2004-04-26
I have always loved increasing my vocabulary! I constantly look up words that I haven't a clue what they mean, learn them and then use them. I love it when someone writes me an email, with a word that again I haven't a clue what they mean by that, LOL!So, I look it up again. Communicating with people with a strong sense of the ability to communicate in such a way that makes what they say extremely interesting. I think a person with with an increased vocabulary is a literate asset and I really enjoy speaking with that person, not meant simply to impress people, but to use a wider range of words and phrases to describe thoughts, feelings, or to make a point and learn another form to express yourself another way. Using other ways of communicating helps people to think, at least it does me. Isn't language an art form if you want it to be? I just happen to think that great communication skill's are fun!
and I would use this book all the time!
This book is a English Major's dream book!
Amazon.com
In The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate, Eugene Ehrlich pulls no punches about his intent. This book and its companion, The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate, are prescriptive rather than descriptive, dedicated to recording language as it should be rather than how it often is. In the preface, Ehrlich announces that he means his book to be an "antidote" to the "effects wrought by the forces of linguistic darkness"--meaning, of course, all lexicographers more permissive than he is. That said, Ehrlich's conservative approach handily disposes of many thorny usage problems. The entry for "effectual," for example, distinguishes between "effective" and "effectual" in a concise and utterly persuasive way: "...a law that is effective--operative, in effect--becomes effectual--answers its purpose--only when the law is enforced."
This is not your ordinary dictionary; Ehrlich thinks that defining everyday words with commonly accepted meanings is a massive waste of time. Instead, he concentrates on unusual words or those that present interesting problems. The result is a fascinating dictionary that can be read cover to cover, like a book; do so and your vocabulary may never be the same again.
Book Description
Between TV talk shows, radio call-in programs, email and the Internet, spontaneous-talk media has skyrocketed in the '90s. People are interacting more frequently and more fervently than ever before, turning the English language into an indecipherable mess. Now, this unique and concise compendium presents the most confused and misused words in the language today -- words misused by careless speakers and writers everywhere. It defines, discerns and distinguishes the finer points of sense and meaning. Was it fortuitous or only fortunate? Are you trying to remember, or more fully recollect? Is he uninterested or disinterested? Is it healthful or healthy, regretful or regrettable, notorious or infamous? The answers to these and many more fascinating etymological questions can be found within the pages of this invaluable (or is it valuable?) reference.
Download Description
Readers, writers, wordsmiths, verbivores, and logophiles rejoice! Renowned lexicographer and author Eugene Ehrlich gathers the 3,500 most engrossing words in the English language and their concise definitions, including short discussions for words most often confused and misused by today's speakers and writers.
Between TV talk shows, radio call-in programs, email and the Internet, spontaneous-talk media has skyrocketed in the '90s. People are interacting more frequently and more fervently than ever before, turning the English language into an indecipherable mess. Now, this unique and concise compendium presents the most confused and misused words in the language today -- words misused by careless speakers and writers everywhere. It defines, discerns and distinguishes the finer points of sense and meaning. Was it fortuitous or only fortunate? Are you trying to remember, or more fully recollect? Is he uninterested or disinterested? Is it healthful or healthy, regretful or regrettable, notorious or infamous? The answers to these and many more fascinating etymological questions can be found within the pages of this invaluable (or is it valuable?) reference.
Customer Reviews:
Great for beginnings and endings.......2007-09-08
This is not a thesaurus for run of the mill word replacement, but it is exceptional at providing snappy starts or intriguing ending for articles. The key to attracting a reader is capturing him with the opening sentence or paragraph, and the right word can help with this. This book provides those eye catching entries, as well as providing words or phrases that wrap up thoughts and elements in your article body. Well worth the price, I believe it got me a couple of freelance opportunities by spicing up my query letter.
Not a great resource.......2006-03-22
This dictionary definitely has some interesting words and the appropriate definitions, but it is not very comprehensive. I purchased the book last week and several words I tried to look up were not listed: ecumenical, for starters. Please excuse my spelling of ecumenical, because I don't have a real dictionary with me at the moment.
Purchase this book only if you intend to keep it right next to a real dictionary, and in that case you might not need it.
i was expecting something different.......2005-10-29
the title led me to believe i would be getting a humorous work. after all, the title had to be tongue-in-cheek, right?
what i got is an idiosyncratic selection of words the author assumes only 'highly' literate people would know, with a few medical and other professional terms thrown in.
it is depressing to think that some, or even most,of these words are assumed not to be known by literate people. heaven knows, standards are slipping, but i've read and spoken most of these words for decades.
perhaps the better companion book to this one would be steve allens _dumpth, the dumbing of america_. because if this book represents extraordinary literacy, we're in serious trouble.
Interesting little book.......2004-12-15
This is an interesting little book, but not an entirely useful one - unless, that is, you're the type of person who would sit in an armchair on Sunday afternoons reading the dictionary. If you are, this is the perfect book for you. If you're not, then this little book merely contains some words that your abridged Webster's doesn't, but that the Oxford English Dictionary (which is available by subscription online) does.
Some of the words included in the dictionary surprised me, as I thought they were rather commonplace: rationale; Adonis; forthwith; talisman, and many others.
Still, I do enjoy thumbing through the pages from time to time, discovering obscure words with greater ease than I would if I were perusing the twenty-volume Oxford English Dictionary that sits atop the hutch on my desk.
One other thing the book does is take common words that are misused, such as tortuous, and "set us straight" as to its real definition.
I think that this book would have been more useful - as opposed to simply being an interesting little reference book - if it had been divided perhaps into two sections: Words That Are Misused", and "Words For People Who Want To Appear Extraordinarily Literate". Yes, there was a touch of derision in the latter title; it's very difficult to imagine working most of these words into conversation, much less a term paper, essay, short story, novel, or a longer work of non-fiction. Why? Because if you use a word that people don't understand, you lose your reader. And as a writer, that's the very last thing you want to do.
As long as you don't try to use most of these words, it's a terrific little book.
Not your typical dictionary.......2004-06-20
This is a great book but not quite what I expected. It is more like a book you would use to study vocabulary for the SATs than a traditional dictionary. There aren't that many words listed and I don't think you would have much luck looking up words -- you are not likely to find your word unless it is one of the few included. But the book offers some fascinating words and is better suited to learning new vocabulary, probably best done by reading it cover to cover. If you're not the type to read a dictionary, you won't care for this book.
Book Description
Adjectives have long suffered from bad press. For many years, English teachers have been fond of telling students that "adjectives are the enemy of nouns, and adverbs are the enemy of everything else."
While it's still advisable to heed your English teacher's advice on most other matters, The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives for the Extraordinarily Literate proves that breaking certain rules can make written and spoken language that much livelier, adding much-needed color, style, and adornment. With this addition to the popular Highly Selective series, the "golden" adjective, at last, gets the star treatment it deserves. From adventitious to zaftig, renowned lexicographer Eugene Ehrlich has collected more than 850 of the most interesting and engaging adjectives in the English language and has provided concise definitions and instructive usage examples. Whether you're a writer, a speaker, or a word buff, this compendious, trenchant, laudable, and all-around fantabulous volume will help you put panache back into your prose.
Customer Reviews:
Serves me well enough for my purposes.......2007-09-06
The words in place in the book are not particularily rare to witness at all; I find them to be quite helpful on a regular basis, myself. The synonymousness of many of the entries within makes me sometimes feel like more space should have been left for a few more curious selections I would have a better time using. If I'd only had this some time ago.
Not words for public consumption or use.......2004-12-15
It's difficult to imagine a use for this book. Most of the words listed are so uncommon and unrecognizable that every writer should be warned to stay away from it as if it could bring leprosy to their writing. Why? Because if you use a word that people don't understand, you lose your reader. And as a writer, that's the very last thing you want to do.
As long as you don't try to use most of these words, it's a terrific little book that you can peruse through and perhaps find words for uses other than what this book may have intended. One example is the word lachrymose. Lemony Snicket used this word as the name of a lake in his book. Much sadness surrounded Lake Lachrymose, and since the definition of lachrymose is "mournful; given to shedding tears", it is appropriately named.
Ideal for those who want to expand their vocabulary.......2003-11-29
All philologists - people who love literature and the english language - will find this to be a very interesting and useful book. It helps you learn new words and provides their etymology, pronunciation and several sentences. Unlike many other vocabulary books where your not quite sure how to use the words you learn; this book makes it a lot easier. I also recommend:
"There's a word for it!" by Charles Harrington Elster
Norman Schur's books "2000 Most Challenging and Obscure Words" and "1000 Most important words."
For those you are just beginning to expand their vocabulary the "Word Smart" series is very handy and so it "A Pocket Guide to Vocabulary" 3rd edition by Barron's
Thanks for trying, but. . . ........2003-04-23
"Golden adjectives" is a real stretch. In fact, some of these adjectives are so specialized or uninteresting that no English speaker would miss them if they were dropped from every existing dictionary. If you think "abortifacient" is a golden adjective, buy the book. Otherwise, you'd be better served by other resources.
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous AZ!.......2006-05-25
My wife and I have lived in Arizona for over 20 years (we're native New Englanders). This book perfectly captures the beauty of our wonderful adopted state. I'll have to buy another copy soon as my son keeps borrowing it!
Jack Dykinga's Arizona.......2006-03-28
I bought the book to learn more about Jack's photo sytle and techniques (because I plan to do a workshop with him this Spring), but the book hasn't left our coffee table. Everyone loves it. Big, beautiful photos. If only I could....
Five Stars are not enough........2005-05-06
This is easily one of the finest books of landscape photography that I have ever seen. Dykinga has a brilliant eye and fantastic technique, but what really makes this book stand out is the quality of the printing (done in China, by the way). I would be pleased to get photographic prints of my own work that are as good as the prints contained herein. Dykinga's previous book, "Desert," is extraordinary, and I heartily recommend it, but "Arizona" somehow manages to top it.
The definitive photographic tribute to Arizona's landscapes.......2005-01-25
Jack Dykinga is, in all likelihood, the only photographer to have already won a Pulitzer Prize before finding his photographic calling. That was in Chicago, before his 1976 "leave of absence" to Tucson. Before the "leave" became a "move." Before his switch from B&W film to color transparencies, and from 35mm to 4x5 view cameras. Before the desert got under his skin, along with the writings of Ed Abbey and Everett Ruess. Before Arizona was, as it is now, home.
25 years later, Jack has, in his eighth book, finally produced a large format photographic tribute devoted exclusively to his adopted home state. To Arizona's incredible rock formations, and the incredibly delicate flowers that border them. To the cacti, agave and octillo that abound. To the water, and the areas that are beautiful precisely because they lack water. And, most of all, to light. Most people would count themselves fortunate indeed to witness such moments of ephemeral light on even a handful of occasions. Frozen on these pages, there are dozens.
The 4x5 Arca Swiss and Wista view cameras and Schneider lenses with which Jack works produce tack-sharp images. They also produce very large images, more than 1300% greater than a 35mm chrome or negative. Thus, Jack's photos have been enlarged only minimally in this book, and the effect is stunning. As you initially turn each page while progressing through the book, it will probably be a rainbow with lightning, or a foreground saguaro framing a twin on a distant hill, or a juxtaposition of light and shadow that initially quickens your breath and pauses your hands on any given page. But after pausing, you will linger to marvel at the visible spines on a cactus, the sand grains on a dune, or the individual trees visible in a distant forest. The vistas are sweeping, but the details are not neglected.
I own hundreds of large format nature photography books and have read hundreds more, but take the time to review very few. "Arizona," however, is special, even in a state with an exceptional history of producing talented artists and stirring photographic monographs. Among Jack's books (all of which I own), this is my favorite save only "Desert: The Mojave and Death Valley," and I suspect it would surpass even that work in my mind if I were not a native Californian. The book was plainly not rushed, whether in conception, production, or presentation. It shows a clarity of vision beyond coincidental pairings of serendipitous or "pretty" photos. This is the work of a man that knew exactly what he wanted, set out to find it, and kept at it until not just an image or two, but the breadth of his intent, was "in the can." Characteristically erudite observations on the Grand Canyon State by Jack's longtime collaborator and essayist Chuck Bowden serve as the unifying, and finishing, touch.
I have had the pleasure of photographing in the field with Jack, and of conversing with him about a wide range of subjects both photographic and non-. He is an extraordinarily talented and generous photographer, and a passionately outspoken advocate for the natural world (particularly his beloved southwestern deserts). We are all fortunate to have him laboring on our behalf. The purchasers and recipients of this book are, in turn, fortunate to have such a marvelous testament to that labor. You will not find a book with a finer display of Arizona's natural beauty. Because, quite simply, there isn't one.
Average customer rating:
- perfect!
- The Best Landscape Book
- An exquisite exploration of the Colorado Plateau
- Book comment
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Stone Canyons of the Colorado Plateau
Jack W. Dykinga , and
Charles Bowden
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
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Land of the Canyons, 2nd Edition
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Jack Dykinga's Arizona
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Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1--Southern Utah (2nd Ed.) (Photographing the Southwest)
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David Muench Vast & Intimate: Connecting With the Natural World
ASIN: 0810944685 |
Book Description
“ìThis landscape is remarkable. . . . The heart of canyon country may be stone, but its soul, which Dykinga reveals so well, is as alluring as it is enduring.” —Nature's Best
Now in paperback, this volume explores two little-known canyon systems just north of the Grand Canyon National Park. Jack W. Dykinga's glorious photographs reveal stunning desert vistas and sheer, slick, red rock, while Charles Bowden's tales of the stark region make clear why early Spanish explorers called the land “Sal Si Puedes”—“Get Out If You Can.” Together, the author and photographer of Abrams' The Sonoran Desert have produced a dramatic tribute to one of the most desolate and beautiful natural wildernesses remaining in North America.
Customer Reviews:
perfect!.......2006-04-27
The perfect combination of wonderful pictures and superb story-telling. After having seen and read more than 15 books of the Southwest/Glen Canyon area, this is definitely one of the best. Jack Dykinga and Charles Bowden have done a wonderful job. Also, in the end of the book the raise the very necessary topic of how to (better) preserve the Colorado Plateau.
The Best Landscape Book.......2002-12-24
In 1998 I'd seen a photo on a calendar of the Vermillion Cliffs in Utah, but had no idea where exactly it was located. I teach photography and my students and I had done some research to find it, but discovered it was a very large area. When I found Mr. Dykinga's book I was even more determined for my students to see and photograph the area. Needless to say, the book is truly inspirational thanks to Jack's remarkabe work.!
If you know a photographer or a traveller - this is the book for them! Enjoy the treat yourself as well.
Jeff Grimm
Bedford, TX
An exquisite exploration of the Colorado Plateau.......2002-10-30
The number of photographic works exploring the nuances of the Colorado Plateau is seemingly endless. Many can be browsed once and left behind. This book is the scintillating exception.
Jack Dykinga's photographic work is simply exceptional, and beyond the pale. Each color photograph appears as exquisitely crafted as a piece of fine crystal, beginning with very cover of the paperback edition. One can only envy his great patience and expertise in composing each work.
Much of the photography comes from the Paria Wilderness, an area of the Plateau not usually treated to any degree in most works, and the novelty is refreshing. A particularly enjoyable facet of the book is that use of a telephoto lens has been largely eschewed, leaving a series of scenes that the enterprising tourist can find and view with his or her own eyes, just as depicted by the book.
Charles Bowden's accompanying text is evocative and hearkens a wild diffusion of images and memories of the fascinating region.
It is an apt companion to Dykinga's superb work.
If you are limited to five or less books about the Colorado plateau, let this be one of them. I enjoy it more every time I read it.
Book comment.......1998-07-19
An hymn to the nature and it's landscapes, whose pictures are superb in both the technical and artistic plans.
Average customer rating:
- A true adventure... Past to present to past to future
|
Frog Mountain Blues
Charles Bowden , and
Jack W. Dykinga
Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0816509298 |
Customer Reviews:
A true adventure... Past to present to past to future.......1998-07-28
All you ever wanted to know about the Catalina Mountains and the people who braved them. Bowden has a way with words to capture your interests--even through the historical factual info. Aldo would be proud of him
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The Highly Selective Dictionary For The Extraordinarily Literate
The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the Extraordinarily Literate
The Thinker's Thesaurus: Sophisticated Alternatives to Common Words
The Superior Person's Book of Words (Book 1)
The Lexicon: A Cornucopia of Wonderful Words for the Inquisitive Word Lover
