Dictionary Reviews

I have been able to have only a cursory glance, so far, but the remarkable contents of this book have enabled me to confirm a theory on which I am working, relating to the palaeopyschology of links between natural phenomena and the emergence of belief in divinities. I look forward to having a much more detailed browse. The size of the font in this reduced facsimile is indeed small. I have poor eyesight, with thick multifocal lenses in my spectacles, but have little trouble reading the book.

Since writing the above, I've used the book often in searches for IE cognates, particularly Sanksrit, and have found it very useful.

Brian Barratt...

I was initially disappointed by this book, since I have a particular interest in Persian (Farsi or Iranian). Alas, Persian is almost completely unrepresented, although Irish seems to be everywhere. Basically, this book is very weak on any Indo-European language east of Suez.

Still, it's a splendid reference and a great achievement.

You can pick this book up and flip to any page at random and learn something that will make you go "huh!". I recommend this book for anybody at all interested in language or thought, either just getting into linguistics or a tenured professor.

The entries are from basic vocabulary, grouped by topic (food, familial relations, etc.), though there's an alphabetical index in the back. For each entry, Mr. Buck gives the word (sometimes a couple different words) in Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Latin, the Romance languages, the Celtic languages, the main Germanic languages (incl. Old, Middle, and Modern English), Balto-Slavic, and usually Indo-Iranian (occasionally Armenian).

But the cool thing is that then he gives an always-enlightening discussion below on how they are related, what ideas lie behind different word-choices, how they've changed, and so forth. This discussion is usu. about 2-3 times the length of the list and is the best part.

This book used to be a big hefty lieberry book, but the University of Chicago has reprinted it into a handy paperback, with four of the old pages on each new one. One reviewer said you'd need a magnifying glass, but I have terrible vision and I can read it just fine.

It's a great book to read on the toilet, or whenever you're just sittin' around waitin' for somethin' to happen. You'll learn something every time you read it, and at this price it's one of the best book-deals you'll get anywhere.

Smith's Bible dictionary is a comprehensive and complete bible dictionary nearly any word you can find in the bible is in here. Smith's bible dictionary not only gives a basic difinition but also an indepth explanation of the usage and where appropreate an explanation of it's symbolic meaning(s). An additional plus is that nearly every page has at least one well drawn black and white illustration or diagram given further insight into the geography, characters and meaning of biblical events.

Want to know about how Hebrews could become slaves to each other? Or exactly what the ancient Holy Days were all about? How about the various foods, plants, clothing and jewelry mentioned in the Old Testament? Smith's, the quintessential Bible dictionary, will add a context to your in depth Bible study that will cement imagery in your head that will make your studies more productive and your memories more vivid and long-lasting. And when it comes to the Bible, context is everything. We are so far removed from our religious ancestors in time and culture that to rely simply on the Bible text is to fail to understand those wonderful people.

This book is compact, easy to use and fair.

I tried to get pregnant for 2 years, without success. I purchased Hendler's book and made a list of what vitamins and minerals my husband and I could take to help with fertility. After 2 months on the vitamins, I was pregnant! I have also used other formulas of Hindler's, and they really work! It's also nice that he gives daily recommendations for what you want to accomplish.

As we are all ultimately responsible for our own physical well-being, objective data is imperative in making informed health care decisions. Dr. Hendler's book delivers just that. I share the sentiments of the other reviewers;I signed on to Amazon hoping to find an updated version of this excellant resource. During this "herbal explosion", I have found the availability of objective and medical data on dietary supplements to be severely deficient. So, Dr. Hendler, if you're out there, we need you!

This is another must have book. First the author has nothing to 'do' with fitness or bodybuilding so you get the straight scoop. The book is easy to understand and goes into great detail. Vitamins and Minerals are covered PLUS most supplements. Want real information, get this book. NBAF 'very best'. (Hope for a update!)

I've looked through word origin books that were dry and hard to read, but Dog Days and Dandelions is a delight. There are stories to be told about where words come from; this author knows how to choose them and how to tell them.

I visited amazon to find more of her books, but they are out of print. I hope either some of you readers will sell your used ones, or that more will be written or printed soon!

I had no idea there were blackbirds in my merlot nor horses in all my jaded, hackneyed, tacky everyday observations. What a treat of a book! Of course, not that I was surprised...all Barnette's prior offerings-- the charming Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies and A Garden of Words--are a must-have for writers and readers alike. Anyone who loves words will adore this treasure of a book. I've already learned more than I did in college! And I've just ordered it for three of my friends. Highly recommended.

Martha Barnette is the best. Few others can enliven dry and obsure facts and information like she can - all her books about words should be required reading for anyone with any aspiration of becoming a writer. And she serves up way more than fodder for cocktail chatter. After reading her, you'll find yourself thinking differently about all the words around you.Check out her website... for a preview.

June Bletzer's "Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary" covers a vast array of topics, from nineteenth-century spiritualism to twentieth-century occultism, all the way up to today's many varieties of new age mysticism. Arranged in a dictionary format, her definitions are balanced and fair, making this a very handy and useful reference. I'm a spiritual writer and teacher, and I use this book regularly for my research. One really neat feature is a comprehensive self-study course in the back of the book -- to help the student of psychic studies learn, by recommending a series of entries on related topics to be read in sequential order. What a great concept, making this not only a valuable reference tool, but a textbook as well. If you're doing any kind of serious research into metaphysics or psychic phenomena, I'd say this book is indispensable.

First of all, you need to know that this book has been reprinted. It is now titled "The Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary" and it is available through Amazon.com. This book is a "must have" for all spiritual (and non-spiritual!) people. There are over 8,000 metaphysical definitions, and Dr. Bletzer has included a large section on Parapsychology Study Courses to enable you to develop your psychic skills. I keep this book close at hand as I constantly refer to it...this book should be the first one on your bookshelf!!!

I have found this book to be a excellent source for finding names for what I and my partner have encountered and or experienced. While not always exact(possibly due to preconceptions clouding the definition,by persons who either did not have an"experience", or described theirs differently) it is however the most comprehensive and valuable book of this nature I have found. There are many more "words" I would like to see added to the book. Many things we have experienced are not in the book.

I have as of this writing passed through about half of the encyclopedia and found it to be of the highest value. It has helped me to gain insights into areas that I am foggy in and also expanded my knowledge of areas in which I hold some expertise.

Ron Davis MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA, MCP+I, MCP+SB, MCT, CIW, CI, CTT

Two words for you - David Hemmindinger - Can this man edit or what? Was Very excited about the release of this book, excellent reference material. I think Dinger needs to write a book of his own next! I know I'll read it.

Have been using this for the past 7 years before going to Stanford and still now.

This is a great reference book with lots of ideas and lots of illustrations. Great for someone who wants to explore out of just throwing or hand building. Great step by step ideas with great color illustrations.

This book is a great addition to your ceramics library.
It has many beautiful and colorful pictures that will definately inspire the artist in you.

I ordered this book last year, to use in my high school ceramics classes, and it is already dog-eared! My kids use this book all the time to get ideas for their projects or just to start their creative juices flowing. My advanced students find it an invaluable source for unusual techniques and methods of decorating ceramic ware. I even use this book in order to get ideas for my curriculum for the year.

Learning should be an interesting and fun-filled exercise be it at home or at school. This excellent dictionary promotes that. It serves as a good resource not only for children, parents and new learners of English but also for adults that need reinforcement. Highly recommended.

We needed a good dictionary for our second-grader. This fit the bill. Our cover looks slightly different (e.g., "DK" instead of "Darling Kindersley"), but it is the same ISBN. I looked at ALL the appropriate dictionaries, probably 40 in total, and this was the best. There are 5,000 main entries (related words bring the total to 12,000 words), including most of the ones that our child uses in class -- he wanted to make sure they were there. The alphabet runs down each page with the current letter highlighted in color. Each word tells what type it is (noun, adverb, etc.), but it is unobtrusive. There are 2,500 pictures, which many of them being incredibly descriptive -- good pictures for words like "lose", "guess", "shrug", "zigzag". Many of the words not only have the definitions, but a sample sentence that uses the word clearly. This is definitely a best-buy for our second-grader.

Young readers will not only love the 2,500 full-color photographs and illustrations, they will find this dictionary easy to understand. When you look up the word "wave" you not only find the description, you will also find a picture of the wave.

Not all the words have pictorial explanations, but in many cases the word is used in a sentence. For example, "every" would have a sentence using the word and state: "Every" space in the parking lot was full.

The 12,000 word entries are explained through clean definitions, examples and usage. This is an invaluable reference book for young readers and writers. It was developed in consultation with experts in the teaching field. The vocabulary lists are up-to-date and includes entries such as compact disc, biodegradable and word processor.

The introductory section encourages dictionary skill. This book will help to build a child's understanding of language and will help them to improve spelling and grammar skills.

Now, could they please make a dictionary for adults that is this fun! :)

When I received this book I thought I might find it useful because I am a lousy speller (I read by looking at words as complete units rather than by letters). But then I thought, "Hey, this is what spellcheckers are for!" True, this does not stop me from making errors in reviews because I have spelt the wrong word correctly, but what does that to do with using this book? Then I was playing Literati (an on-line variation of Scrabble) and it dawned on me: I do not have to fumble through the dictionary trying to find out what words begin with FLA- while the clock is counting down my time, I can use my new Spelling Dictionary! No, it does not have every acceptable word that can pop up in the game, but I pretty much know all the two letter words in the world right now any way. But it does have plurals and parts of verbs spelled out in full, along with alternative spellings, which is pretty much exactly what I need. So, I have to admit, I have found a great utility for this little book that has nothing to do with word processing and spell checking. Before the computer became so commonplace in our homes and offices, this book would have been of great use to people like me, who keep making spelling mistooks that need to be corrupted and do not need the definition of the word, just the spelling. This book even makes it easier for you when you are in that age-old Catch-22 of having to look up the spelling of a word you do not need to spell. With three columns per page there are only seven pages to deal with the hunreds of words beginning with the letter "N." With this book you can find it, find it fast, and it is small enough that it can sit between your keyboard and your monitor or someplace equally convenient.

I got this book for my little girl when we were preparing for her 4th grade spelling bee. She and I both *love* it. She didn't win the bee this time, but we're going to work all year with the book... it makes learning new words fun!

I used to be a genius speller. I went to the National Spelling Bee as a child! I've been a professional proofreader at times in the past ten years! But chemotherapy caused a mental fog to set in, and I've lost my spelling ability. This book has saved my life and my self-esteem. Thank you for selling it.

A wonderful book of paranormal collection, focusing on the subject of ghosts. Daniel Cohen's objective approach helped a lot in the accounts that are contained in this book, which is neither critical nor imposing that the stories aren't hoax whenever not proven as false. A fine little resource material for research in the study of the most popular cases of poltergeist, hauntings and phenomenons in the 'Spirit world', written in a concise and neat manner. Originally published in two volumes, the paperback contains the pages of pictures. Pretty good.

Daniel Cohen is an incredibly prolific writer, with books spanning several topics. He has a lot of books on ghosts, aimed at all ages.

This book is a great resource... it examines nearly every famous ghost case and provides an objective look at all of them, without presenting an overly critical eye.

There are just as many instances where he applauds the stories for their elements (who the witnesses were) as well as presenting the facts as to why the veracity of certain stories should be questioned.

He also examines mediums and the popularity of ghosts in at the turn of the century. He has a great bibliography with even more resources for those who want to learn more, listing books from the turn of the century all the way up to the year before he published this book.

There is no better book than this to guide all ghost hunters to go to the right place, and what to do there. It is my first choice for whenever I feel like I want to read a book about ghosts (whitch I LOVE to do)!