Dictionary Reviews

For years, Paul Dickson has been fascinated by words. But unlike most people, he's done something about it: He collects them. He gathers words the way a butterfly collector snares his prey: He captures the unusual, the archaic, the eosteric and even the madeup. And every once in a while he blesses us all with the fruit of his labor, a volume of words that is more than educational, it's pure entertainment, too. Such is the new "Family Words," Dickson's gift to the great American backbone, the family. Here you will find words that only a mother (also a brother, a sister and a father) would love and recognize. "Family Words" is as enjoyable as eavesdropping on your next-door neighbor, and as informative as well. And it's not just for wordnerds either!

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is additional evidence -- if additional evidence is necessary -- about the simularity of people everywhere.

For instance, I'm pleased to find that our family's use of "huggle" -- hug plus snuggle -- is also a family word used by other families.

Dickson didn't print a phrase that my family has used for years -- "take care of your own rat killing," to tell someone to mind their own business.

There's at least a smile on every page. I recommend it for everyone with fond memories of their family life.

Every family has its own special, private words, and Paul Dickson, the tireless collector of such things, has gathered hundreds (thousands?) of the most humorous, unusual, imaginative, goofiest and ingenius family words into this book. They get the reader to start thinking of his or her own family's "code words", and Paul Dickson would undoubtedly love to add them to his collection. The book makes a great gift for word-lovers.

As an author with my debut novel in its initial release, I freely admit the debt I owe to Tom Dalzell's FLAPPERS 2 RAPPERS. Without Dalzell's collection of youth slang from the 19th Century to the present day, my novel would not have likely received the rave reviews it is receiving. I use this book while writing to give my characters the voice of their time and place. One of the most meaningful compliments I ever received about my writing came from a reader who was a Chavezista in her youth. She told me I handled Chicano slang perfectly in my novel (which features a Latino protagonist). I didn't tell her Tom Dalzell's book was my primary source for proper usage. It still is. I admit it freely. This book is fabulous.

Mr.Dalzell's book, is, as it was designed to be, a first-class reference source for anyone who wants to know how American youth spoke and when they spoke that way. But, in fact, this book is a great deal more than just a reference resource. The text can indeed be read as an incisive, compassionate, witty, and ultimately, quite moving account of American youth - a time of life when we are all at the mercy of our dreams. From the opening quaintnesses of the 1850's, to the jagged, scarey rhythms of rap in the 1990's Dalzell establishes a through line to make it all of a comprehensible piece. He ends his book with a valediction that will make you smile and maybe dab at your eyes for a moment too, as he makes manifest his enormous affection and respect for all embattled youth, no matter when they were young.

Dalzell chronicles the use of slang from decade to decade, ranging from G.I. slang from WWII to the lexicon of the Beat movement to inner-city speak for such taboos as drugs and sex. Dalzell also created smaller highlighted sections for slang that was used in smaller circles, such as Chicano vocabulary that one is likely to hear on the streets of East L.A. (take it from someone who has been there). Each section is illustrated by a different, well-known artist, which really brings the text to life. Flappers 2 Rappers is an intriguing study of youth and culture throughout this century. It would make an excellent addition to any classroom dealing with English as a Second Language or American idioms and slang.

Finally, an encyclopedia that covers the folk and blues artists that I love. Very informative and well written, Stambler's book is a must for those who want to learn about the many musicians who have helped to shape the unique American genres of music. For true fans of music history and trivia buffs, I also recommend checking out Stambler's other two music encyclopedias-'Country Music: The Encyclopedia,' and 'The Encyclopedia of Rock, Pop, & Soul.'

As a music lover, I found this book to be both comprehensive and informative. Not only does it cover the notable figures in folk and blues, from the biggest stars to the unsung geniuses, but it does so with style and erudition. Many of the entries appear to be based on first hand interviews and contain information I have been unable to find anywhere else. I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the vast field of folk and blues.

Comprehensive, stimulating, brings all these compelling characters, from Blind Lemon Jefferson to Cisco Houston, and their world to life!

This encylopedia is fantastic!!!!! The authors write clearly and sensibly. I find it to be an extremely useful and convenient reference source. Armen Alchian's essay on property rights is particularly fine. I hope it is back in print soon.

This book is perfect for anyone age 14 and up trying to understand economics.Too many economics books muddy up the waters with dry bones statistics and other irrelevancies.This book presents the Big Picture of what REALLY matters...money flows,monetary policy,interest rates,wealth confiscation by inflation,free trade,right of contract,riskless society, etc..all of it in short little,to the point essays..like bullet point articles,explaining everything in language designed to impart knowledge..not to impress the reader with how smart the writer thinks he is.No wonder that Book Whatever in the review took issue with it's exposing of the failures of Marxism..they don't like to be reminded of them and of the misery their policies have perpetuated on mankind.

It's too bad that this excellent resource is out of print. I bought my copy when it was first published in the early '90s and have consulted it regularly ever since. Each article is clearly written and is nicely balanced -- neither too advanced nor vacuous. Editor David Henderson deserves loud applause for assembling such a stellar collection of essays.

This book is a keeper! The author has an amazing way of bring the people to life. She is very descrpitive, but gets to the piont. Alot of work went into this book and it shows. If you love soaps, or the stars who deck the pages then give this book a try, I am glad I did!!!!!!!!!

This book contains every bit of information a fan could want regarding anyone who has appeared on a TV soap opera since the genre's inception. Attractively designed, it also benefits from Ms. D'Agostino's sophisticated wit and breezy style. Awards credits and guest appearances by name stars are included, along with biographical data. A must have for fans of this genre.

Annette D'Agostino has done a wonderful job in researching and writing this charming and funny book that appeals to everyone -- even those who aren't big soap fans. Not only are the bios of those whose careers began in soaps enjoyable and entertaining, D'Agostino's summaries of soap history and listing of all soap operas is fascinating. Well done!

This is the kind of book that you can randomly flip through and always find something interesting, and can read about customs and ideas that are totally different than one's own. The diversity among human beliefs is indeed amazing and is an indication that the human mind adapts and invents concepts that are very different depending on the situation in which individuals find themselves. On the other hand, there are common themes in all of these myths that point to the necessity for the employment of certain concepts that are universal. A gigantic book, it probably would only be read from cover to cover by those who intend to specialize in the study of mythology both from an anthropological and historical point of view. But it is fair to bet that anyone who opens this book will walk away with a deeper appreciation of all human cultures, wherever they may be, and at all levels of technological development.

Lack of space prohibits a detailed review of all the articles I read, but some of the more interesting entries that I ran across include: 1. "Ababinili". This is the name of the supreme being of the Chickasaw Indians, and the god of the fire apart from the Sun. This belief is an indication again that the concept of an ultimate being is pretty universal among all cultures. Apparently the Chickasaws believed that Ababinili caused a great flood also, although this fact is not discussed in this article. 2. "abdominal dance". An article discussing the origin of "belly dance", as it is called in some cultures. Interestingly, in some areas it was not done as a seductive movement or to provoke a sexual response. In Asia for example, it was symbolic of the pain of motherhood. 3. "African and New World Negro folklore". The author discusses the "Tortoise and the Hare" story which interestingly was held by some African peoples. He compares it with the European version, with the tortoise winning in both versions. However, in the African version, the tortoise wins by employing his wits. This "brains over brawn" version of this story is fascinating given the bias towards logical thinking in European culture. 4. "bagpipe". The origin of bagpipes goes back to the emperor Nero, who reportedly played it. Bagpipes were played by the Romans in their colonization of Britain. 5. "barber's pole". There was a time when barbers were also surgeons, thus the red and white strips on the pole: white for bandages to symbolize the healing process. 6. "chain tale". This is a folktale based on a series of numbers, characters, events, etc. Supposedly the game of chess originated in a chain tale involving numbers in geometric progression. The inventor requested in payment one grain of wheat for the first square, two for the second, four for the third, eight for the fourth, and so on. 7. "Dalai Lama". The Tibetian monk of highest rank, who is the incarnation of Avalokita, whose spirit passes into a child at the death of each Dalai Lama. 8. "euphemism". This came from the belief that if you speak of the Devil he will appear. Hence one must refer to him by another name: a euphemism. The origin of the name "Jehovah" was also such a euphemism, since uttering the name of the Hebrew god was forbidden. 9. "female rain". Among some North American Indian tribes, this is a soft, gentle rain; to be contrasted with a downpour, which is "male rain" (How then did hurricanes become to be name after women?). 10. "games". This is an excellent article, too long to summarize here. 11. "grateful dead". Folktake in which a hero runs into a group of people who are refusing to bury the corpse of a deadbeat man. The hero makes good the debts, and later is rewarded with happiness. 12. "holler". A spontaneous, improvised song by American slaves engaging in solitary work. Usually with no words, it was meant to keep oneself company. 13. "jack-o-lantern". In some legends, This is a phosphorescent light frequently observed above marshes. The author describes many more. 14. "kitchen gods". The thousands of paper images representing Tsao Chun, the Chinese god of the kitchen stove. 15. "looking tabu". The act of looking at a forbidden object or person will cause its loss. 16. "magical inpregnation". A child conceived via some act or circumstance which has no connection with fertilization. Very common in mythology, the author gives several very interesting examples. 17. "mending the jug". A folktale based on a task considered impossible and always associated with an impossible countertask. 18. "mnemonic device". This is an excellent article, too long to summarize here, of the strategies employed by different cultures to remember or recollect things. Particularly interesting was the use of them when no language or mathematical systems were in place. 19. "momentary gods". These, interestingly, are gods who exist only for a special purpose and for a limited time, and then only at special places. 20. "need fire". This was a ceremony wherein fire was made when livestock were threatened with plague. 21. "never-finished weaving". The Shawnee Indian tale of the female creator who weaves a basket which is unraveled every night. Finishing the job will cause the world's end. 22. "orchesis". The Greek word for dance, which was considered indispensable in Greek drama. 23. "orgia". The winter ritual dedicated to Dionysus, and involving after sometime to what the author describes as "unbridled, licentious mass intoxication". He describes similar types of ceromonies in the West Indies, Indian peyote cults, and in Mexico. 24. "overlooking". This is the act of one who casts the "evil eye", a belief that according to the author is world-wide and found from earliest times. 25. "paternity test". An infant magically picking out his unknown father. The author gives several different tests employed by many different cultures. 26. "primitive and folk art". A very long but excellent article on all kinds. 27."scalp dances". These were American Indian "victory" dances done around the enemies scalps. Apparently in some tribes the scalps were considered tabu and contained supernatural powers.

these books you must. I have read enough reviews here to know that people dole out 5 stars with impugnity (the ones that don't like certain books don't bother to look at other reviews of them) and realize that the rating system here is meaningless (not because of Amazon), but if you have ANY interest in the serious study of mythology, these books, edited by Maria Leach, are a necessity; look thru whatever foul paperbacks pretending to be concerned with mythology you own and notice they all reference this grand work, full of SCHOLARLY treatise on a vast array of subjects. And they are fantastic reading in sortes fashion; to just open randomly and read whatever your finger touches. Nuff said.

This reference work is not specific to any particular mythos, pantheon, or people, but encompasses beliefs of the entire world. If one wishes to be as general as fire, or as obscure as rakshasa, he will find what he is looking for: and if not, this will tell him he needs a resource more specific to what he is after.

Geography is a fun subject because it is so visual. This book has fun, brightly colored pictures that illustrate basic geography words. I found this little gem at a library sale years ago and have used it to help prepare my chldren for our homeschool association geography bees. They love this book too!

This book is really well done. Though it is targeted for children, this 40-plus year old found it very informative. After searching through the adult catalog at the local library for a book that would explain landforms and earth features and finding nothing, I found this book in the young people's collection. It was a Godsend. I found it so useful, that I am now purchasing it for my personal library.

If you, like me, have never been clear in your own mind about the difference between a hill and a mountain; a mesa and a butte; a brook, creek, or stream; a river, lake or pond; a sea and an ocean; a canyon and a gorge, and on and on, then this book will painlessly de-mystify these terms for you and many more.

Thanks to the authors and publishers of this fine book, I am less dumbfounded by my physical surroundings, and at least know now what I probably should have learned in grade school

I'd like to thank Jack Knowlton and Harriett Barton for writing and illustrating "Geography from A to Z."

My daughter and I had a great time reading it together and she became the only first grader to know the basics of geography. A life long lesson.

I recommend this book for all children and would definitely give it as a gift.

"Geography from A to Z" has become part of my permanent library.

One nice thing about this little book is its durable plastic covers. They let you tuck it in a purse or shirt pocket and carry it anywhere, without damage.

It covers the basics, such as pronunciation, orthography (capitalization, syllabication and punctuation) and punctuation.

It also treats all of the parts of speech, including nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. And, this being German, the book also tells how to make compound words from independent words and add prefixes or suffixes to words.

There's a useful section covering such special topics as numbers, telling time, days, months, seasons and the weather, synonyms and antonyms, and common phrases and idiomatic expressions.

Dr. Graves did a fine job in putting together a clear, accessible guide to the grammar of the German language. The different points of grammar are presented in a manner that is very easy to understand and retain... I highly recommend it to anyone who is learning German, especially if you are studying it on your own.

This compact guide explains and shows examples of German grammar as compared with English. Pocket sized book which would benefit beginners as well as advanced speakers. I am studying German now and haven't seen a reference as beneficial as this one yet. Gives Parts of speech, Pronunciation, Verb Charts, Sentence Structure, Punctuation, Idioms and covers many other details.

If you're studying (or thinking of studying) Akkadian in a university setting, you don't need anyone to recommend a text for you. But if you're thinking about studying Akkadian on your own, look no further.

I'm not an academic, and I have no professional qualifications to judge this work. But I enjoy languages, and I know what works for me. This book is just about perfect for the student learning on his/her own. (To get full benefit, you really need to buy the companion "Key to a Grammar of Akkadian", by the same author.) The grammar is divided into graded lessons, and each lesson introduces 2 or 3 grammatical points. These are followed by vocabulary and exercises to test your command of the grammar just learned. Translation exercises from Akkadian to English, and English to Akkadian follow. (The format is very similar to that used by Lambdin in his excellent grammars of Biblical Hebrew, Coptic, and Ge'ez.) Again, the "Key to the Grammar" is indispensable; by checking your answers against the key, you'll know if you've mastered the grammar. No previous knowledge of linguistics or any other Semitic language is assumed.

After about 10 lessons, he introduces cuneiform signs, and thereafter, each lesson has a number of short readings provided in cuneiform. It's a little daunting at first...in my earlier stabs at Akkadian, I had only seen the (simpler) Neo-Assyrian versions of the signs. The author gives 3 varieties of each sign: the Old Babylonian lapidary form, the OB cursive form, and the Neo-Assyrian form.

Learning Akkadian is no easy task. This is a big book, and it's probably going to take me over a year to get through it. But the material is presented in a very accessible and straightforward manner, and each lesson builds on the material learned before. If you enjoy the intellectual challenge of learning a dead language, you'll love this book.

This is the cleanest presentation of Akkadian for the student that I have yet seen. It is a masterful presentation that provides a sound and solid footing for further education and research, considerably delaying continuing students' need to subject themselves to the far more opaque (and less current) works of Ungnad and Gelb. The availability of a key to the exercises in this book makes learning Akkadian available even to those who wish to master this language on their own. (q.v., ISBN: 0788504274) For learning Akkadian, this is THE text!

English-speaking students of Akkadian have for a long time had to pick and mix their textbooks. Something out of Caplice here, something out of Marcus there, with an occasional dip into Riemschneider in translation. All of these books are admirable in many ways but at times the student is left with conflicting interpretations and, most importantly, wondering whether their answers to the examples are correct. Now, at last, there is a single volume which leads the student from the simplest aspects of the Akkadian - mostly Old Babylonian - to a level at which original research can begin. The cuneiform script is, rightly, only introduced after a basic understanding of the grammar is acquired but is otherwise mixed freely with transliterations. The appendices include an extensive wordlist, glossaries of logograms and determinatives, notes on other dialects and phonology and extensive paradigm tables. The answers to nearly all of the exercises are available in a separate volume. Now all we need is for someone to do the same for Sumerian....

This is the only really up to date Hebrew Reference Grammar. All the most modern and accurate theories are clearly presented, and the guidelines for pronunciation are excellent. Watch out for typos, though.

If you
cannot read German but you can read English,
your native language is not a Semitic language,
you have passed elementary Biblical Hebrew and
you are reading the Hebrew Bible,
you must have the two volumes of Jouon-Muraoka handy! They are indispensable, readable and helpful!
If your budget forces you to choose between Gesenius-Kautsch-Cowley and Jouon-Muraoka, buy Jouon-Muraoka now and GKC later. You also absolutely need to have Williams' "Syntax."

Clear, modern, and standard grammer with Muraoka's additions. Indespensable study tool for linguistic biblical hebrew study.