Dictionary Reviews

As an editor of legal newsletters, I do not know what I would do without this absolutely necessary tool of the trade. Not only do I, a non-attorney, find it indispensible, but my colleagues who are members of the Bar are constantly borrowing my copy "just to check." And whatever they, or I, am checking--it's in there.

Garner has a way of condensing solid and often very intricate information into a few paragraphs so succinct, and so informative, that anyone can understand. When one is rushing against a deadline, editing for and about attorneys and the law, reaching for Garner often makes the difference.

I would give up my dictionary before I would part with this book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Garner has earned his place in the annals of legal writing and editing, and I hold him--and this book--in the highest esteem.

A J.D., admission to the bar, and this book should be the three requirements for any individual to practice law. The title, "A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage," is absolutely appropriate in that this book does not merely serve as an alternative to Black's to find the definition of a word or phrase. Rather, the book's emphasis is on appropriate usage. It is an enjoyable enough read that one might end up reading it from cover to cover if one isn't careful. I recommend it highly.

If you have a question about a legal word or about legal writing, look it up here. You'll find the answer, and you're also likely to find a lively and intelligent discussion on the point. But the best thing about DMLU2 is that it's correct. So use it for back-up when you need to be right. Every lawyer should have it.

(By Edward Trimnell, author of "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One," ISBN:1591133343)

Everyone has to start somewhere, and this book is a good place for beginning students of the Spanish language to start. This slender volume provides a lot of expressions that you can readily use as you begin to interact with Spanish-speakers.

In the initial stages of language study, it is often difficult to extract the functional sentences you need out of a textbook or more extensive course. This book is just the remedy you need for that problem. It is also a bargain for the price!

You can't beat this book - for the price and the small, yet concise and relevant content. Learn how to tell time, order food, go through customs, as well as greetings and social conversations just to name a few. Especially helpful are the pronunciation guides listed below each phrase. Muy bueno for the traveler or beginner.

About 70 pages long and for [dollar amount] you cannot beat this book.All the basic spanish for travel shopping dining emergency and amusement.Along with the spanish word is also a phonetic pronunciation guide,which is also a big help.

A more handy dictionary of math than this one, I have yet to find. Profusely illustrated with equations, graphs, diagrams and charts, it is yet comprehensive enough not to miss items and entries of major importance - and it still stays within a reasonable, user-friendly size. The only dictionary I know of that is sure to be better than this one is soon to be available: the second edition of this book, published just a few months ago.

There are a number of mathematical dictionaries, of course. This effort is widely comprehensive (it would be a challenge to discover a topic not included) and sufficiently treats each topic. Masters level in coverage, it is accessible for undergraduates. I find it invaluable as a quick reference.

I was lucky enough in 1991 to find this book in my University book store. I have never found a more useful source of mathematical insight and basic conept derivation as this 'manual'.

There were occasion in my pure mathematics course where upon complete confusion with respect to an off-the-wall assignment from my professor that this book enabled me to break down the problems into sizeable chunks.

The cross referencing is invaluable and I would thoroughly recommend this to ALL mathematics under-graduates, in engineering, biolgy, soical, sciences.

If only there had been something similar for my Statistics MSc.

I will be defintiely buying edition 2 of this book when it lands.

This book is a wonderful aid to Jewish Knowledege and Yiddishkeit.
Judaism encompases tremendous learning opportunities and tens of thousands of pages of Talmud, Chumash and many other sources.
Yet this little one volume dictionary allows those who are lacking in fundamental education to learn basic expressions and words of a cultural and or Yeshiva enviornments.
It is an introductory pocket dictionary to the Jewish world.
I have used it all the time when I need clarification or just forget and want to confirm.
This book should be on the shelf of every Jew. So many of us have not had the opportunity to learn and make part of us our Jewish heritage and strength. This little introductory dictionary along with the many Chabad and Artscroll publications is another step to learning and remembering.
You will use it and you will enjoy it and it will help you.
kenny
ke@nac.net

This book is a great resource. As a Christian family in a predominantly Jewish community, we often felt a little confused by some of the words that would come up in conversation. I was always jealous of the colorful traditions and wonderful words that had been passed down to my friends throughout the generations. Now I know where to go for help. We were invited to a seder last year, and found our new knowledge made the experience much more meaningful.

What a fun read! If you want to know the difference between meshugge and meshuggeneh or Miriam's Cup and Miriam's Well, this is the book for you. Eisenberg and Scolnic have compiled a wonderfully ecclectic collection of Jewish terms, references, and culture in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format. The entries have pronunciation guidelines, and are cleverly used in sentences that truly convey their meaning. This work is a must-add to any bookshelf.

The information in this book is comprehensive, well-referenced (including mention of non-scriptural resources related to the period), and quite absorbing. I found myself moving from one cross reference to another, avidly seeking the information which "fleshed out" the accounts, and made the meanings of scriptural texts, even those I had studied a number of times, richer and more complete. The relation of gospel texts, particularly Jesus's parables, miracles and the like, to historical perspectives is well done. There also is a valuable section relating how to use gospel texts in preparing sermons. In total, it is a fine reference for placing Jesus's words in context, and understanding the actions of those with whom he dealt. (For example, look up the article on Pontius Pilate... his fear at "you are no friend of Caesar" has an interesting and very natural basis.) With this said, however, this valuable book should not be one's only reference for scripture study. My five stars are for the book as it is intended - a "dictionary," with extensive and often fascinating explanations. It is not sufficient for most scriptural exegesis or advanced New Testament study, particularly because it is strictly composed from an evangelical perspective. Many distinguished contemporary scholars (Raymond Brown, N.T. Wright, E.P. Sanders, to name a few), equally orthodox in their Christology, would have viewpoints that are far less literalist than this work provides. Just as two minor examples, the Dictionary sees no reason to doubt that the apostle Matthew was the author of the first gospel, and the idea that the visit of the Magi was completely, literally true (with no allowance for its being a midrash at all) is unquestioned. The entire approach in this work is extremely conservative. I would place this book on the shelf of anyone studying the gospels, but it would be one of at least five.

IVP and Dr. Daniel Reid have outdone themselves with this great series of dictionaries. This volume on Jesus & the Gospels is packed with over 900 pages of detailed information on the four gospels. With dozens of the leading scholars of our day contributing, the vast coverage of subjects is breathtaking.

The contributors have been given a great degree of freedom to express their views, but this turns out to be good for stretching one's thinking. Matters that I disagree with in various articles have been nothing short of challenging. This is an extremely helpful work that will prove invaluable to the pastor and teacher. There are so many excellent and helpful articles in this work that we would probably do well to just read the entire volume.

This is one of the better reference works available from a conservative evangelical publishing company (IVP). The text itself is a very detailed dictionary of the four Gospel accounts. The editors include articles regarding people, places, events, dates, cross-references, etc. The articles are broad in the sense that they include various opinions and views but not so broad that they are too muddled in what they communicate. There is an enormous amount of detail in this volume. The editors discuss things such as the ethics of Jesus, certain feasts, genealogies, historical reliability of the Gospel accounts, the doctrine of Hell, historical quest of Jesus, Josephus, the phrases "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of Heaven," miracles and miracle stories, passion narratives, the Resurrection, what the term Son of Man means, etc. and what I have listed does not even begin to scratch the surface of the material that is within these pages. This work is over 900 pages of great material about the Gospels and their content, history, dating, etc. If you are wanting a great research tool, then this is one of, if not the best one you could add to your library. Another great reference work by the same publishing company (IVP) which works well with this volume is titled "Dictionary of Paul and His Letters." See my review, here at Amazon, on that gereat reference work which is a type of vol. 2 in connection with "Dictionary of Jesus . . ."

This was the first volume in the whole IVP series I purchased, and because of it, I bought the "Dictionary of the Later New Testament." This whole series is a wonderful and insightful compilation of Biblical studies. This work is a concise, and yet thorough work on Paul's theology and termonology, and the novice student doesn't need to worry about a ton of theological jargon or a degree in Greek in order to read it, either.

I tend to prefer the more extensive "The Theology of Paul" by James Dunn, although this book may have a more logical orginization to it as a dictionary format. I usually sit down with both when I study, as they both have their strenghts and weaknesses as a resource.

I dont 100% agree with everything in this book, but I agree with a lot of it, and consider it a necessity in my library.

A great introduction to Paul and Pauline studies. This book will give you an informed introduction to many of the Pauline perspectives. A most worthwhile read. Concise, easy to read, with a conservative scholarly bent, but also fair in its assesment of current scholarship. Highly recommended for the christian thinker who recognizes the need to stay informed. As with the other volumes the bibliography is one of the real values of this dictionary. Your money is well spent on this book. A real value! Pastor Ken

The best one volume book you can find on the complete writings of Paul. The book covers everything dealing with Paul and his writings, and not one stone is left unturned. Every article is brilliantly written, and informative. I found the articles on Textual Criticism and the various ones on Jesus Christ very helpful to my study. Along with the other three volumes (Jesus and the Gospels, Later New Testament and its development and New Testament background) it makes a good collection to the complete understanding of the New Testament. Go out and buy it, and you will not regret it.

This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Mesopotamian daily life and religion. It provides a quick reference to not just myths and gods, but also religious rites and magical practices. For example, you can look up "sacrifice" if you want to see what information there is on how the Mesopotamians went about such things. I think this helps to flesh out how the religion affected the daily lives of the people. It has a wealth of illustrations and drawings, something that is rather lacking in many books about Sumer.

It also covers the evolution of the gods and cultures who worshipped them, instead of a simplistic "This was the god of X." It helps to know that some things were specific to Assyria or the early Sumerian Dynasties, which is important if you wish to avoid a homogenized 'Babylonianoid' stereotype of Mesopotamian history and religion.

Our copy is already looking shabby from being read so much.

A nicely organized book that keeps all the Gods, Demons, and places of Mesopotamia in order. This is a great companion book to just about every other book written about Mesopotamia.

This wonderful book was published in 1992, and reflects up-to-date knowledge of ancient Mesopotamian religion. It covers from prehistoric times (though mostly from the Early Dynastic Period) through to the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian period, and is organized as a dictionary. Most entries are given a paragraph or two, though more important ones can cover a page or two, and many pictures and illustrations are sprinkled throughout.

This is a wonderful resource for anyone who enjoys reading about ancient Mesopotamia. No part of Mesopotamian religion that I could think of was not covered, and quite a lot that I did not know was covered. The reach of this book is truly breathtaking! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the religion of ancient Mesopotamia.

If you are ready to dig a little deeper, then you need to add this Dictionary to your own personal library. If you could only purchase one other study guide, this should be the one. An indispensable reference tool that can be used alone or side by side with any Bible or Study Bible translation (KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, RSV, etc.)

As you read the definitions of various words or topics of interest, it provides continuous cross-references to Scripture verses; similar to a good Concordance or the teaching methods used by the most reliable Christian authors. Easy to understand, non-denominational, a wealth of pictures and graphics. The section on Bible translations and correct Bible interpretation is worth the cost of this book alone.

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6.
"Test all things; hold fast what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21. (NKJV)

If you are only going to buy one resource to go with your Bible then this is it! A Bible dictionary is very important for looking up not only key Biblical terms to help you understand an unfamiliar term, but this Bible dictionary has a vast amount of archeological & historical data, color picutes and maps, outlines and concise summarys for each book of the Bible and information about it's authors. This book has a nearly unlimited amount of reference potential. I highly recommend Nelson's Bible dictionary.

If you are a student of the Bible and you can only afford one quality Bible dictionary, get this one. If you already have another dictionary, get this one - it will soon become your favorite. Big, colorful, READABLE print and index - it is exactly what a student needs to find things fast and to have a clear explanation when he finds it. Worth the investment.

'The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church', edited by the late F.L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, is perhaps the authoritative, one-volume encyclopedia of information on Christianity. With over 480 contributors, from a myriad of denominational backgrounds, this book has a completeness that is unrivalled. Scholars from Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and other denominations, as well as Jewish and secular authorities from all over the world, have written or contributed to articles that reflect as best possible an unbiased and authoritative compilation of history, theology, liturgy, scriptural study, art, biographies, denominational and calendrical organisation, and inter-religious attitudes.

The current edition, published in 1997, is the third edition of the ODCC to appear since its was first issued in 1957. It has an unrivalled reputation since first being published by Oxford don and cleric F.L. Cross. After his death, Dr. E.A. Livingstone took the helm to oversee production of the current volume.

There is increased coverage of the Eastern Churches, certain issues in moral theology, and developments stemming from the Second Vatican Council. Numerous new entries have been added and the extensive bibliographies have been brought up to date. Readers are provided with over 6,000 authoritative cross-referenced entries covering all aspects of the subject.

The book is over 1750 pages in length, very much the ready reference rather than the narrative sort, but many of the longer articles provide depth and detail, and articles generally include references for further research at the conclusion.

Topical entries include:

Theology
Discussion of theological topics from the earliest days of creeds and heresies to current topics on Christology, ecclesiology, sacramental theology, and other topics Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox.

Patristic Scholarship
The early Church Fathers are covered in detail, particularly in creedal development. Likewise, recent scholarship on Nag Hammadi writings, newer Augustinian sermon discoveries, new scholarship on Gnosticism, and established work on early church history are included in the articles.

Churches and Denominations
Beliefs and organisation of the major denominations are covered, as well as lesser-known and smaller denominations such as the Amish, Shakers, Old Catholics (my own denomination); as well as particular national structures and variants on the Christian scene.

Church Calendar and Organisation
This includes feast days, saints days, calender issues (such as the date of Easter), sacramental and liturgical systems, rites, church and canon law, and discussion of religious orders.

The Bible
An entry on each book of the Bible, including apocryphal and deutero-canonical scriptures, as well as entries on major Biblical figures are included along with major schools of thought on scriptural interpretation and study.

Biographical Entries
Saints, popes, reformers, church leaders, mystics, heretics, kings and emperors, theologians, philosophers, artists, musicians and poets are included among the many people with an impact on Christianity.

New Entries
These entries include ecumenical dialogues, ethics of procreation, contraception and abortion issues, theology of religions and different religions, articles on Black Churches, C.S. Lewis, and the Holiness Movement.

I find this an almost indispensable reference book. Priced at suggested retail of [retail price], it is unfortunately out of the reach of most of those who need it most -- seminary students. But it belongs on the shelf of anyone who has intention of being scholarly in their approach to Christianity.

Okay, my title is a bit oversimplified. But the truth is this: If you wish to study Church history and need to find the basic salient facts quickly, there is no better place to look than the Oxford Dictionary. The entries are extremely concise, but sources and other references are provided for possible future research. While the Dictionary is certainly dominated by Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox scholars (because the church history field is dominated by these denominations), the third edition is more ecumenical than past editions. I attend a Methodist seminary and the professors highly suggested that if we buy any book, we buy this one.

Whenever I have a church question I come to this dictionary. As a seminary student I have used the dictionary in every class, even Bible classes (many Biblical books and theological terms have entries). When professors' lectures become muddled, the textbooks do not explain the material clearly, or a parishioner has a tricky question about the Church, the Oxford Dictionary will come through. Virtually every topic in early and later Church history, and Christian thought has an entry. While the price might be a bit steep, for seminarians, scholars, pastors/priests, and church history buffs, this is the essential one-volume set. Also, at the very end is a convenient list of popes and anti-popes.

As is not surprising, considering the publishing source, the "Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church" is the foremost single-volume reference work of its kind. Indispensible for clergy, seminarians, and academics, this book is valuable and accessible for the layman as well. Regardless of whether you are Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant; regardless of whether you are liberal, conservative, progressive or revisionist; if you take any serious interest in the whys and wherefores of Christianity -- you need this book on your shelf.

This volume is non-denominational and non-polemic. It does not seek to convince, but rather to inform. And it accomplishes its task with impressive thoroughness. Even if you already have an earlier edition, strongly consider this purchase.

This is everything a bilingual dictionary should be. Simply the best French/English dictionary out there. I'm really impressed.

This is the only French dictionary you will ever need. It is so thorough, it's unbelievable. I found words that I couldn't even find in my English Random House or Merriam Webster dictionary - amazing! Including a plethora of slang expressions, as well.

The OXFORD HACHETTE bilingual dicttioary is a superlative work. I am using the 1997 edition and it serves me well as a language enthusiast and a translator. It provides many, many different examples of translations, always easy to find and in the idiomatic language. In the French-English section for instance, the development given under the word TEMPS is just oustanding. One learns new ways of saying things: "Ils sont cruels, témoin le massacre de tout un village." - "They are cruel, as evidenced by the massacre of an entire village." This was interesting: "They have been badly serviced by their advisors" -"Les conseillers ne leur ont pas été très utiles." The various encyclopedic features such as the subject and grammar boxes are very useful. One would have liked a more North American approach, or even Canadian, but that does not distract from the overall quality. It is interesting to find a word such as DÉPANNEUR (convenience store), while one cannot find GUIGNOLÉE or BANC DE NEIGE. It is a modern dictionary, with equivalents given for email (one slight mistake there... MESSAGE PRÉCÉDENT given as NEXT) and such things. Verbs, model letters, etc. One would have liked the use of colour, but the dictionary is still well presented. I have used the Harrap's Shorter and I have the Collins Robert on CD-ROM. This is equal to any of them, it is perhaps even superior. Do not hesitate to buy it.