Dictionary Reviews

Most of us are visited nightly by dreams. And most of us are puzzled by the fragments we can recall of these elusive visitors. Do dreams mean anything? If so, what? How can we better remember them? Is it possible to "control" our dreams? Sandra Thomson, a psychologist and author, tells readers all about dreams in Cloud Nine: A Dreamer's Dictionary. Thomson says that "dreams show us our conflicts and way to resolve them; they chronicle our inner striving." She adds that dreams can be "a second language." She starts with a general discussion of dreams, highlighting the primary theories of the significance of dreams. People have tried to understand their dreams since the beginning of time, often relying on shamans. The first dream book was written in the second century A.D. Hundreds of people have studied and attempted to explain dreams since then. Freud was a pioneer in dream interpretation. Thomson explains his theories, then goes on the discuss the work of other researchers, including Jung, Adler, Horney, and Perls. She clearly explains what each believed to be true about dreams, which is helpful to readers trying to understand the symbolism of their own dreams. Dreams use symbols and the meaning of the symbols vary from person to person. Thomson highly recommends that each person prepare their own "dream dictionary," in which they figure out the meaning of their unique symbols. The bulk of her book is a generalized dream dictionary that will help readers get started. She offers alternative meanings for most of the symbols, enabling users to better interpret their dreams. She provides extensive instructions for decoding individual dreams. The book is filled with "dreamercises," which are designed to assist in recalling and interpreting dreams. Thomson also explains how to put your dreams to work for you, by asking for solutions to daytime problems. She also describes how to teach yourself how to have lucid dreams, in which the dreamers are aware that they are dreaming before they wake up. Thomson wrote Cloud Nine to "allow you to participate more fully in understanding your own dream productions or in identifying your growth tasks." The guidelines and exercises she provides gives readers the tools they need to understand and interpret their dreams.

I have an older copy of this book, and absoluetly love it! I read it regularly, and the information is astounding. I was looking for an edition to buy as a present, and saw that a new edition is now available.

I plan on buying more than one copy, and definetly recommend this to anyone curious about their dreams.

I have very vivid dreams and was curious about the meanings behind them.

This book not only explains the symbolism of your dreams, but also has very helpful exercises to help you remember your dreams. There are even ways to help yourself dream better.

I am expecting my first child in June, and had a dream about a pool of water. When I looked it up in the book, it referenced being pregnant. What a surprise to me!

If you are interested in learning more about your dreams, this is the reference manual to buy!

Whenever you open this book, you will be absorbed by the abundance of creativity and imagination and due to to the cryptic way of comunication you keep on wondering if you will be the first to enter this hermetic world of L.S. Breathtaking.

The book is a piece of conceptual art. You open it and are confronted with what looks to be an profusely illustrated encyclopedia of things you have never before seen. The illustrations are inspired and colorful works done in colored pencil. The text is in a made-up language. You are left to decide what this all means, so it is also a puzzle book.

It's a shame it's out of print. It's worth seeking out a copy.

We owe this 20-year old piece of high fantasy to a Roman architect, Luigi Serafini. This is a large book of splendid, eerie illustrations of an impossible world in a parallel universe, with copious comments in an incomprehensible language in an imaginary script. A world at once familiar, inhabited as it is by humans, and hauntingly different, with its very own laws of physics, its strange fauna, its stranger flora, its unimaginable society, technology, even mathematics. The Codex Seraphinianus is to that world what Diderot's Encyclopaedia is to ours, only lavishly and artistically illustrated. A feast for the eyes, a tease for the brain, to which you will find yourselves drawn again and again, and again, in ever renewed fascination. It is a particular joy in the Italian edition (published by Franco Maria Ricci of Milan) if you can afford the outrageous price -- some US$250: hand-made paper, a hard-cover bound in black silk in a box clad in black silk, such luxuries do not come cheaply

This is a CLASSIC reference book on Revolutionary War artifacts!
This one first came out around the time of the bicentennial, and has set the standard from day one. With photographs of original (and in some cases, excavated) and reproduction equipment, this book is a gold mine of information. Where photographs are not available, black and white line drawings by George Woodbridge fill the gap. Woodbridge is one of the BEST illustrators of military subject matter. He captures the details that matter.
Members of the Brigade of the American Revolution were used to further display everyday items used by 18th century soldiers. Museum curators, reenactors, collectors, illustrators and makers of reproduction equipment MUST HAVE THIS BOOK on their shelves.
My only criticism ? Color photos and exact measurements would have been nice. ...

George C. Neumann and Frank J. Kravic have really done it this time. Hands down this is the best book written on artifacts of the American Revolution. From A to Z you can look up nearly anything that was used in the War For Independence. Great for amateurs and pros alike it is an indispensable reference tool especially with museums and private collections. Very popular with online auctions as this book is referred to often. Great photographs that are clear with a brief description of every item. Some of these artifacts are now on display at Valley Forge. For collectors and historians alike this work is unparalleled and for over 20 years has been the "bible" for collecting artifacts of the American Revolution. No other work has come close. Highly recommended.

This book is an alphabetically organized list of hundreds of artifacts from the Revolutionary War, with photos of everything listed. Each item is described in detail, from powder horns to clothing to medical instruments. If you are a re-enactor of this period and you don't have this book, get it!

As a self-taught student of the Yiddish language, I've sought out many Yiddish language text books. Uriel Weinreich's "College Yiddish" is by far the definitive book on the subject. All other first-year books pale in comparison. Each lesson is presented and structured in an extremely logical and coherent manner. The scope of "College Yiddish" covers the language so extensively that before you know it, you're able to read Yiddish books and newspapers without much effort. If you are a student of other foreign languages, you will be amazed at just how well this book was written. You'll wish that Uriel Weinreich had written books covering other languages as well.

The Yiddish texts at the beginning of each chapter are intelligently written--not "dumbed-down" as most language books do. "College Yiddish" doesn't just cover grammar and vocabulary, it also includes the history of the language, Jewish culture in Europe, anti-Semitism, folklore, Zionism, creation of Israel, etc, all presented in a very appealing way.

While studying from "College Yiddish", I also recommend that you purchase Uriel Weinreich's "Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish-English Dictionary". After your completion of "College Yiddish", you should continue your studies with "Yidish af Yidish" by David Goldberg and "Yiddish II: An Intermediate and Advanced Textbook" by Mordkhe Schaechter, both of which continue from where "College Yiddish" left off. I recommend that both be purchased because they both cover different aspects of Yiddish; "Yidish af Yidish" being more academic where as "Yiddish Tsvey" is more colloquial.

Too many books that purport to teach you Yiddish treat it as either a joke or a relic. Prof. Weinreich's "College Yiddish" treats Yiddish as a living, expressive and literary language, not as a compendium of phrases to say to your bubbe when she visits, or as a collection of cursewords. The book consists of 30 graded lessons, each based on a text which covers some aspect of Jewish life, culture and history, and especially of the Jewish communities of central and eastern Europe for whom Yiddish was a bond. At the end of the book is an excellent precis of Yiddish grammar. But this book isn't "dry as dust," either: Prof. Weinreich takes Jewish humor as seriously as he does Jewish culture and literature! Very highly recommended.

Those who have spent any time looking for good information on the Yiddish language know quite well how difficult it is to find anything of any quality. "College Yiddish" is the best source I have ever found in three years of searching. Besides containing very clear explanations of grammar accompanied by exercises, the cultural information included is of immense interest. I heartily recommend this book.

I recently bought this book and tape to prepare for my trip to the Basque Country. I read the book a few times and listened to the tape in the background at work and home. For every bit of effort I put into learning Basque, the reward was 100%.

When I got to San Sebastian, I found that people spoke very much like they did on the tapes. Even though I had never studied Basque or Spanish prior to buying the tapes I was able to get around. I was able to ask for directions, greet and introduce myself, and buy food. By the time I arrived, I had heard the tapes so much that little phrases kept popping out.

Having this as a base I was able to begin speaking to people both quicker and at a deeper level. It was amazing how far I could stretch a conversation based on simple grammar and vocabulary.

Once I became to speak some of their language, the Basque people really opened up to me. They really appreciated the effort I made to learn their language. And now is a great time to learn Basque. It is undergoing a revival so both kids and adults are going to school to learn Basque.

This book and tape helped me a lot! Now that I am home I still listen to the tapes to refresh my memory. To the authors I say eskerrik asko!!

I recently bought this book and tape to prepare for my trip to Euskal Herria. I read the book a few times and listened to the tape when I was at work or around the house. For every bit of effort I put into learning, my reward was 100%.

Although I had never studied Spanish or Euskera before, these tapes helped me get by. When I arrived in San Sebastian, I found that the tape was extremely accurate in the way people spoke. I kept popping out little phrases I had memorized from the tape. These helped me with the necessities, like greetings, asking directions, and finding what I needed in San Sebastian.

It's amazing how far I was able to stretch a conversation just by knowing the basics and the functional words. Once I got past the day-to-day survival, I really began to learn the language.

Once I began to learn the language, people opened up to me in a way they never would have to an English- or Spanish-speaker. Euskera is undergoing a huge revival and it is exciting to be a part of that. And the Basque people will love you for showing them the respect to try to learn their language.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the language or is planning on visiting Euskal Herria. It will give you the base to begin communicating much sooner and at a deeper level.

Alan King made a very good manual, it is hard to make something like this for the language that is not similar to anything we know, but however it is really easy to learn basque with his book.

"Colloquial Chinese" (the older version) is an excellent Mandarin primer, as long as you are aware of its limitations and have a plan for supplementing it. The only real problem with this book is that it uses a lot of Maoist scenarios that were relevant in the early eighties but are now rather comical. Once chapter, for example, talks about going to visit the Clear Mountain People's Commune. Although this will not help you much in China today it is only a minor setback.

To make this series work, I suggest you do two things. First, get the supplementary character text book, as this one only uses the Pyin Yin romanization system. Second, get a tutor, or conversation partner, or someone to help you out. Not only will that person help you learn the material, but the chances are he/she will give you more updated, contextual information to supplement the lessons.

Other than that, this is an excellent book. If you stick with the lessons and listen to the tapes you will develop a foundation in Mandarin.

This is a strong course for the motivated learner keen to get a solid grounding in the basics of Mandarin Chinese grammar and vocabulary in order to continue their studies at a higher level. Someone who is more interested in quickly learning situational language and useful phrases for travelling or for business would be better served by a different course more focused on their particular needs since the vocabulary given in this one is quite general.

There's another book with the same title and publisher, but by a different author (K Qian). That book is simpler and more suitable for the casual learner wanting to learn Chinese for travelling, but it doesn't reach as high a level of Chinese as this one. But then again, neither is it as hard going!

Back to this one: there are no Chinese characters in the book. To learn these, it would be useful to buy the companion chinese character version of the book, which gives all the texts and grammatical pattern sentences, but not the grammar explanations, in Chinese characters and teaches you how to write the 700 plus characters introduced. That's available only directly from the authors I think. Unfortunately, there aren't any cassette tapes currently available for this book so it's not really suitable for someone learning completely by themselves unless they already have a good knowledge of Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. Nor are the answers to the exercises given. So it's more suitable to use with a tutor or as supplementary reading for someone attending a chinese class.

I have two quibbles with the book. Firstly, the grammar explanations are a bit dryly written so they are not always easy to understand. Secondly, the lengths of the chapters vary too much. The first few lessons are quite short and concise (perhaps 20 new words get introduced) but by the end of the book, the number of new words given per chapter has ballooned to well over 100. So the later chapters are much more hard going than the earlier ones. The first point can be overcome by buying a set of good Chinese grammars, e.g. the books "Basic Chinese" and "Intermediate Chinese" by Yip and Rimmington and of course by asking your Chinese teacher!

If you include learning how to write, I think there's enough material in the book for 6 months of intensive study or a year for someone who wants to study more slowly (but still regularly).

After mastering the material in the book and learning the 500-700 associated characters, the learner is well-placed to go on to a lower-intermediate text, i.e. at the beginning 2nd year college level.

First off, this book is entirely written in Roman characters, not Chinese characters. It uses the standard Pinyin romanization developed in the PRC. Secondly, it seems quite complete. I'm now halfway through it, and it seems to be covering all basic syntax, and not just the introductions or phrases included in other introductions for popular audiences. I'm using it to review Chinese after having taken an intensive university course a year and a half ago. I'm finding it quite excellent for that purpose, getting me up to speed without the slowing burden of trying to read characters. I expect that next time I'm in China I'll do much better at speaking and understanding than last time.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles California, but my wife was born and raised in Slovenia (Andol and Ljubljana). For years my in-laws have been trying to teach me Slovene; my accent was just too much for my wife. We traveled to Slovenia and I made a major leap forward (immersion) and now my wife can tolerate my accent. After the trip to Slovenia, I found this audio cassette course and decided to try it. My wife and in-laws are very impressed with the differing styles of speech and the accurate phasing that one would normally hear in and around Ljubljana. Although the course might move a little too fast for someone without any exposure to the language, it is the right pace and style for a serious student. My diction has greatly improved. I converted the tapes to audio-CD and spend time mimicking the exact style of the different persons speaking in each lesson. This has greatly reduced my accent. This is not a dry classroom lecture series. It is everyday people talking and having fun -- it reminds me of the relatives in Slovenia.

This language course is the best for the Slovene language that I know. The dialogues depict everyday situations and sound very natural.

The only little drawback is that there are no indications of pronounciation (accent). Therefor for correct pronouncion the cassettes are a must.

I started learning Slovene 3 years ago ( when I was 13)as self-taught girl and I have a lot of slovene books ( I mean grammar books)but I think this is the best one I own. Here there are 13 chapters and the book talk about an English man,Robert, who goes to Slovenia to work there for a year. Each chapter is about a different situation in Robert's life and at the end of each chapter there is the vocabulary, language points, civilization and grammar notes with a lot of examples and exercises.At the end of the book there are the translations of the dialogs, the solutions of the exercises and a 22-pages glossary. The cassettes are great too:they are very very useful for the pronounciation. The only problem (but it's only for the students who are not english)is that this book is written only in English so quite difficult. However this book is better done than any other Italian or German one.

Forget the emotional posing and the masturbatory use of the "method" in today's actors and acting teachers. Doug gets right to the point and gives you the raw, essential tools provided by the Stanislavski/Strasburg Method. Stop letting the "feelings" of attention-seeking actors confuse you. Great tools are to be found in this book.

I have heard so much about this book. Well, now I finally got it and I am mad that I waited so long. Every time I pick it up I learn something from it. I re-read it all the time. I am learning sense memory in my acting class and I use the book and my teacher say "great!" but I know I got it from the book. I love that it's so clear. That is awesome. So far I have bought 3 of them, 1 for me and 2 for presents. This is a must have book.

A student from Yale had this book and that made me curious so I bought it. I have studied with some really good acting teachers but this book has made an incredible difference in my understanding of the craft of acting. Professor Moston's discussion of issues like sense memory, collusion, objectives, character and other Method and non-Method acting styles are really wonderful. I don't think anyone can learn acting from a book, but if you could, this would be the book to do it. I like how Moston gives you a fast answer and then, if you want to learn more, you can read the entry and get where the term came from, how it came about, and what's really great, how to use the idea in your acting. Also, I carry it in my backpack and I've even used it to settle arguements. Check it out!

For readers interested in etymology and the derivation of words, this is an excellent source. Names have been listed here based on lexical origins first and only then for their religious connotations. It makes for rich reading and I highly recommend it.

The book starts with a neat introduction beginning with the name of Muhammad meaning "one who is praised". Muhammad is the most common Muslim name. Prophet Muhammad is supposed to have said "Whoever is named after me with the hope of being blessed, he will be blessed and will be in peace till the Day of Qayamat". Then other names like Abdu'llah (the servant of Allah), Adhu'r Rahman (servant of the merciful one) are explained. The introduction closes with thanking those helped the authors in providing research material and guidance.

Phonetic Guide is followed by Introduction. This page explains how to spell, for example A is spelled as in mud, K as in king, Q as in stuck, U as in put,etc.

Origin of names are explained the next topic - Abbreviations. This page has the origin of names like A for Arabic, Hb for Hebrew and P for Persian.

Then the names and meanings are listed alphabetically. However you will not find names staring with "O". For names with O you will have to see "U". Each name has its source and almost all the meanings. An interested and speciality of this book is that the Actual Meaning, the Construed Meaning and those connected to History or Mythology are indicated. This makes the book different from others. The book ends with Bibliography.

Male and Female names are neither indicated nor separated, causing little inconvenience to the readers. For all names beginning with "O" you must see under "U". This is another inconvenience.

Finally I am sure to say, "The Complete Book of Muslim & Parsi Names by Maneka Gandhi & Ozair Husain" is THE BEST Muslim names book.

Anyone who is looking for meaningful names for their new born should take a look at this book. These names are meaningful rather than being only good sounding.

What a great time for this book. Parents are constantly trying to come up with unique names for their newborns. This is the perfect "baby shower" gift. Like the title says, it's complete and offers some truly different alternatives as well as traditional names to parents-to-be. It is the kind of book that will remain in families and be passed on to their newlywed couples.

This book is a beautiful creation, not a mere listing.I think a good subtitle for it would have been: "Magic words and personal histories." Ms. Keister's opus manages to be both scholarly and fun, worth reading on its own whether or not you have a new baby to name. I enjoyed getting the chance to look over the author's shoulder as she recalls conceiving, (extensively) researching and writing the book. Her subjects (every name represents an actual individual) come alive for me. I particularly enjoyed the bits of history and sociology in the "Did You Know" shorts sprinkled throughout the book. The author's perfectionism and nice style add to the pleasantness of the journey through time and language. Who's Minnie Lee Jones, and why did so many African Americans of a certain era name their children Moses? How did the Tiger get his nickname? Make sure you "read the book and find out." It's a little paperback with a deceptively simple cover, full of nice surprises. I wish I'd written it. Cathie O. Schoultz

This book is a find! Most name books read like the yellow pages but The Complete Guide to African-American Baby Names gives you a grounding in the name, its history, its African roots. There are lots of small "featurettes" on the background of some famous people and their names.Keister has done her research. A serious fun book!