Dictionary Reviews

I work with High School students and I found that this book has helped some of the parents as well as the student in brushing up on the basic skills that were forgotten throughout the years. I recommend that every household should have this book in their collection.

This book is such a valuable tool for parents to help their child master classroom information. It includes information that parents have long forgotten from their own school experience. For example, when was the last time you used geometry formulas or used language grammar rules with such care. This book is a MUST. I am recommending our PTA to put this book in their newsletter so all our families know about this great tool!!!

This is a great book for all the parents that are confussed about their child's homework. Very easy to understand it is a wealth of info on all the subjects.

This is one of those books to keep in the car and, when you have to wait in a doctor's office, dine alone, or wait in line for something, this book will entertain you over and over again with its fascinating (and often amusing) facts. Yes, it is a book you can pick up and put down, but you'll always enjoy it when you open it and read. As an example that made me laugh out loud... one of the ten songs with outrageous titles that were actually published is one titled, "It's Hard To Say I Love You, When You're Sitting On My Face!" I'd have bought it for that one alone.

Before people had the Internet as a source of trivia, this book was the next best thing. The lists, a masterpiece of compilation, are still a delight: they include a summary of Creasy's Most Decisive Battles, the world's greatest libel suits, the biggest recipients of cold war military aid, and famous virgins. The sequel was somewhat racier than the original but just as good. This book - if you can get hold of it - still has the power to keep you happy during down-time in your summer hammock or your winter chalet.

This book is amazingly interesting, it shows the unbelievable origin of ordinary events and names through history. It is great to share with friends and for readings at parties. It's also very easy to read since you can pick any piece of the book without loosing meaning or context. I saw this book first when I was in high school, some 13 years ago. I liked it so much that I bought it for my dad then, though we lost it on a moving about 8 years ago. I've tried to find the Spanish edition ever since with no success, now I'm eager to find it whether in Spanish or English. It's a great gift for any kind of reader!

I purchased this reference a few years ago. Once I received it and began using it, I wondered how I'd ever gotten along without it. The author's British and so the dictionary's common names are more often "British" than "American", but it is still the handiest plant dictionary I have. It is a little larger than pocket size, but it is still small enough to be held comfortably in one hand.

This book does not need a review. Anybody who is involved in plants, other than the garden kind, knows full well that this is an essential reference. Quite up to date too, which is pretty amazing in view of the pace that science sets. There is an enormous mass of data in here, printed on very thin paper, making for a very handy book that will fit a spot near where you need it, which is likely to be often.

As a graduate student in ecology I often encounter unfamiliar genera in the literature, and a quick peek in Mabberley gives me enough taxonomic grounding to keep plowing ahead. By constantly referring to this book, I have greatly improved my knowledge of plant relationships.

I bought this dictionary/thesaurus a few years ago for college, and have used it well. While it won't fit in your pocket, it will fit in your book bag, and I was more than happy to sacrifice the extra weight for a few more definitions and synonyms. And, while this is much more detailed dictionary than any other "pocket" dictionary I have come across (which typically fit in your pocket), it is certainly not THE definitive dictionary you'll want to own. I have come across a few words in my studies that have not been listed in this dictionary, and that I had to find at home (in a behemoth edition that fits on a CD-ROM). All in all, a great buy--best portable dictionary you will find. (Weight: 970 grams; 2 lbs, 2 1/2 oz. For those of you planning on taking it hiking.)

I would like to say that this book is excellent for students with hard courses in high school. It's a pretty good size to fit in your backpack although I wouldn't call it pocket size, I would call it backpack size :). They also have a special reference section where they give you basic information such as country/capital, states, metric conversion, etc... All in all a very excellent purchase that would benifit your education.

American, not British English! Too large to fit in my pocket, this is a superior inexpensive reference book. The dictionary is excellent for a book of this size. The thesaurus is clearly more limited than a dedicated tome, but the list of synonyms is useful. The guide to pronounciation is as good as any, though I feel this is one area where CD-ROM computerized dictionaries have the advantage. There is also a brief "Special Reference Section" containing signs and symbols, easily confused words (e.g affect/effect), terms for groups of animals, et al., but includes other items I found less appropriate to a dictionary such as metric/US weights, measures, and temperatures, multiplication tables - redundant in the age of calculators, presidents/states of the US, etc.

This text is beautifully organized; it's intriguing, and leads the reader on from reference to reference, poem to poem. It's littered with examples and a wide variety of poems, citing old works as well as contemporary reworkings of old forms, Neruda and Keats under Odes, Passerat (16th century) and Weldon Kees (20th century) under Villanelles. Definitions are clear and easy to understand. A fun read, a great resource.

If you are a professional, aspiring or amateur poet, this book is a must have. Part anthology, part dictionary, part encyclopedia, it provides indespensible and clear advice. There is inspiration on practically every page!

An invaluable aid to anyone interested in reading or writing poetry. Arranged alphabetically, as you would suspect, the book covers forms, poetic movements, the elements of poetry, and rhetorical devices. My highest recommendation. A continuing source of information and inspiration.

This is an indispensable reference for anyone involved in the potter's and ceramic arts. More an encyclopedia than a dictionary, the depth and detail of coverage is outstanding.

From the artistic to the highly technical, everything is here. Materials & processes as well as chemical compositions and practical formulae are accompanied by black & white photos and excellent diagrams.

A wealth of information is provided in an appendix of 42 tables, a bibliography, a list of suppliers and personal recipes from a number of artists. Historical styles and techniques are included as well.

Two sections of color plates include many varied and beautiful finished pieces with technical details and references to appropriate dictionary entries. This is definitely a classic in its field.

This is the single best hands-on resource for clay working that I have found in over 20 years of clayworking, studying and teaching. It is a dictionary BUT it is cross-referenced and illustrated with many well-covered, interlocking topics. There are seven full pages on cracking alone with all the various factors described so one can diagnose and correct problems in the shortest possible time.

I have depended upon this book for years as a student and now as a professor of ceramics. Topics are listed alphabetically (as in a dictionary or encyclopedia) and provide information ranging from the definition of common and obscure potter's terminology, to thorough explanations of the physical and chemical properties of clay and various related materials. This is a resource that will keep providing information as you progress in your understanding of the medium.

If you're looking for an informative, useful and above all, user friendly Dictionary that specifically deals with East Babylonian (Talmud haBavli), Aramaic, then this is the dictionary for you. It does more than simply provide a word and its related meaning, but also provides English words, and a quotation in the Talmud itself. It lists verbs according to their usage in the Talmud, rather than according to their roots... This is a dictionary I keep by my side when studying the Talmud.

But all is not perfect...Not every word in the Talmud is translated however, this is a minor point, of which the author is well aware, and does not diminish this work at all. It derives from Melamed's Aramaic-Hebrew Dictionary and Jastrow, as well as a comprehensive Talmudic Concordance.

If students and scholars are serious about the Talmud then this companion is certainly a must-buy. Be sure to also get "Grammar for Gemara" by the same author - the second edition aids as much as the Dictionary does, and includes a brief section on Mishnaic Hebrew, and is interspersed with examples from the Aramaic Targums as well as the Aramaic of the Talmud haBavli.

If you're studying the Talmud, get both these books, they clarify meaning far more than Jastrow's Dictionary of the Talmud, Targums and Midrashim (which is a literal dictionary of all words).

This is a dictionary of the key terms that mark the structure of the talmudic argument. It does not cover every word in the talmud (for that, consult Marcus Jastrow's dictionary); but it does define the structurally important words that define the shape of the talmudic argument. The definitions cover everything a beginner needs: the literal meaning of the Aramaic, the Hebrew equivalent of the Aramaic, the structural meaning of the word or phrase, at least one example printed in Hebrew with an English translation. In the many cases where a phrase or sequence of phrases has a special meaning, these larger rhetorical units are discussed under separate entries.

There is a useful dictionary of common talmudic abbreviations at the end of the volume.

I have required all of my students at the University of Chicago and Hebrew Union College to buy this book. It's great. Buy it. You'll love it!

In its short time on the market, Frank's dictionary has become a standard companion for students of Talmud across denominational lines. His entries are thorough and useful, providing clear translations of Talmudic terminology and expressions to the novice and the advanced student alike. It is simply a must-own for anyone who intends to study Talmud in Aramaic.

This book is so useful and user friendly. I didn't even get into the CD-ROM yet.. It is very thorough, informative and even funny at times. It is also intriguing makes you want to learn more. You will never regret buying this book!

The author must have a sense of humor. I found it very strange how a book that can be so serious is at the same time very funny. I loved reading through it. And it helped me with my exams. I have a feeling that the teacher was using it as a source.

Definitions & explanations are comprehensive and precise. Also, you'd be hard-pressed to make them shorter and sharper. Most recent edition comes with CD-ROM.

This book is very useful for students who want to improve their fluency in American English. The usage of sounds in contrast is a powerful tool for those that have some difficult for distinguishing English sounds. The authors go depth on American pitch and intonation, driving the student towards the achievement of true American accent, just like a native has!

I discovered this book in the library, and have since used it to teach classes as well as individuals. Some of my students have even used this book as a self-teaching guide. It is an absolutely wonderful pronunciation guide for any level of ESL student! THE GOOD: The book employs a wonderful system for helping students learn the sounds of English. It has lists that differ by only one sound (ex. Sip & Zip) to illustrate the differences between similar sounds. It then tests the learners' hearing by having them choose which word they hear in a sentence where either word would fit! It goes on to provide practice with many words, sentences and dialogues. Then, after an activity, it summarizes all the ways that the sound can be spelled. THE BAD: There really isn't much! If anything, I would say that the mouth illustrations at the beginning of each chapter aren't really that helpful. And sometimes my students question me about the phonetic spelling that is used to introduce a sound. OVERALL: This is an absolutely wonderful book that can be used with anyone - from true beginners to advanced students! I would recommend it to anyone teaching or learning pronunciation. If you are going to use it to learn on your own I would recommend getting the cassette tapes.

I would like to know this book.Only the cassettes

This is a GREAT value. Very in depth and very thorough. This book covers it all, it even has the fingerspell alphabet and numbers in the back of the book. As far as a sign language dictionary this is the very best one I found, and I looked at several. Not small enough to carry around in your pocket but I don't think anything with this much information could be that small.

This dictionary was recommended to me by my sign instructor. The signs are clearly illustrated and the definitions are in great details in this dictionary. I think this dictionary is right for all levels of sign students.

This book has wonderful pictures for most of the words in the book. It also has nice instructions on how to form the words and letters. In the back it includes the alphabet and cardinal & ordinal numbers. It is also at a very good value!