History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Scholastic Dictionary Of Idioms (Revised)

Average customer rating:

Highly recommend this book!!!
Great English As A Second Language Teaching Tool
Excellent support for the bilingual classroom!
Great book!
Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms (Revised)

Scholastic Dictionary Of Idioms (Revised)
Marvin Terban
Manufacturer: Scholastic Reference
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439770831

Book Description

Cat got your tongue? Penny for your thoughts? Come again? Every day, idioms bring color to our speech. Since they don't really mean what they say, idioms can stump even the native English-speaker. Marvin Terban makes understanding idioms "as easy as pie" with the revised SCHOLASTIC DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS. Explanations for, and origins of, more than 700 everyday American idioms, complete with kid-friendly sample sentences. The entries are amusing as well as educational. Alphabetical listing and cross-referencing index makes finding idioms a "piece of cake."

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommend this book!!!.......2007-09-30

I really would LOVE to recommend this book for all of people who are learning English as a second language and hope to know English idioms. I am from Korea, but now I am staying in N.C. to learn English. I was looking for some books that could helps me to understand the meaning of idioms because sometimes it was too difficult for me to figure out what they mean. This book has more than 700 idioms with examples, meanings and origins. The origins help me to remember the idioms easier. After I read some, I finally understand why people use idioms in particular situations and I feel like I will never forget them. It may not really helpful for academic courses or daily conversation, but it is easy to read anytime and it is good for FUN! Unless I am older than twenty, this book is fun enough! And especially, this is cheaper than others. So, I'd like to say just buy and read. I am 99% sure that buying this book is going to be a good choice!

Great English As A Second Language Teaching Tool.......2007-09-19

I work at a library in Brooklyn, and I purchased this book for a friend coming from Japan to learn English in NYC. This is a fun way to learn the language. I enjoy the descriptions of the origins of these idioms. I can't recommend this enough!!

Excellent support for the bilingual classroom!.......2007-08-14

This is a great product which I use when teaching my 5th grade student's about idioms. It is very user friendly! I recommend this without reservation and suggest you also get the books: MORE PARTS and EVEN MORE PARTS to complement your classroom library.

Great book!.......2007-06-27

I teach fifth grade in a school with a high level of English Language Learners. We learned an idiom each week and this book gives the origin of the idiom, which is what really hooked my students to learning about them. I have bought 3 of these books now for fellow teachers!

Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms (Revised).......2007-05-13

I found this book to be usefulI had purchered it of my children.

The Sculpture Reference: Contemporary Techniques, Terms, Tools, Materials And Sculpture

Average customer rating:

Astounding Diversity of the Art of Sculpting

The Sculpture Reference: Contemporary Techniques, Terms, Tools, Materials And Sculpture
Arthur Williams
Manufacturer: Sculpture Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0975538306

Customer Reviews:

Astounding Diversity of the Art of Sculpting.......2005-12-20

The Sculpture Reference by Arthur Williams is a phenomenal achievement. An enjoyable and educational book that I find quite inspiring. Living, contemporary, working - sculptors; what an excellent set of criteria for the inclusion of the over 280 artist whose work is displayed in the over 1,100 color images within this hefty 512 page book.

The quality of the photography is excellent in every case. The alphabetical structure of the work lends a nice rhythm between materials, techniques and the results that can be achieved with them, in another words it is a good read for the serious sculptor.

The most impressive aspect is his selection of unique sculpts; the diversity of which is almost unbelievable. This handsome book already has a few scares from knocking around my studio. Almost every person that has opened it has ended up going from page one to the back cover one page at a time. Most of these people not sculptors mind you, just everyday Jane and Joes that are drawn in. I have many instructional videos and books on sculpting and sculpture, but this one book could replace half of them as an effective educational tool.

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Jackie Mason helps you learn to talk Jewish the Yiddish way
How to Talk Jewish
Can we talk????
OY A KLUG!
Lexicography that is witty and wise

How to Talk Jewish
Jackie Mason , and Ira Berkow
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312072368

Book Description

Jackie Mason has built his Tony Award-winning career out of the culture and language of Jewish people, so who better to instruct the unindoctrinated in the joys of Yiddish? How to Talk Jewish, a guide to 100 Yiddish words, phrases, and expressions, includes pronunciations, definitions, and examples of usage, along with Jackie's incomparable wit. Is your blind date haimish? Uh oh. A zhlub, worse. A doctor? The naches are almost inexpressible! Jackie Mason brings all the vivacity, spunk, and chutzpah of Yiddish to the tongues of the less fortunate. Don't be a meshugenner, buy it already!

Customer Reviews:

Jackie Mason helps you learn to talk Jewish the Yiddish way.......2007-02-06

I wanted to learn some common Yiddish sayings. So I bought Jackie Masons' book titled: "How to Talk Jewish". It is an enjoyable book complete with Yiddish sayings and a taste of Jewish life as only Jackie Mason can tell it.

How to Talk Jewish.......2006-03-03

Not as good as I had hoped. He explains a lot of Yiddish phrases that are not commonly used. The commonly used expressions were not defined as well as I could have defined them myself.

Can we talk????.......2003-04-09

Quintessential Jackie! Hilarious! A must-have in a Jewish humor library. May I also recommend a nifty, gezunta book I received as a gift and fell in love with? "A Little joy, A Little Oy" -- if Jackie's a main course Joy, Oy is one amazing antipasto.

Lillian & Joe Moses

OY A KLUG!.......2002-02-06

Only a meshuggener would not find this book entertaining and informative. Then again, probably only meshuggeners would want to READ shtick like this. Too bad Jackie didn't record this for the blind and the goyim; LISTENING to his spiel would just make this so much more of a mecheieha. If only that gantseh macher Webster had had Jackie as his editor -- oy!

Lexicography that is witty and wise.......2001-02-04

This is a smart little book of 93 Yiddish words and expressions that are defined, illuminated, and used-in-a-sentence by comic and philosopher Mason. In his Introduction, a thoughtful essay on Yiddish, he asserts that although he born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1934, he grew up in a one hundred percent Yiddish-speaking world ("I didn't know that anybody in this country spoke English until I was old enough to go to the movies.") His family moved back to New York before he was five.

This little book contains a wealth of Masonisms. Jackie Mason used to have run-ins with censors and others. He reserves the right to be both self-deprecating and insulting. Jews, gentiles, politics, marriage, family, ethnicity, money, power, and God himself - all are up for grabs. There are a lot of funny stories. In addition, he has an understanding of the Yiddish language that he is happy to share. (Harry Truman was haimish - accessible, natural - FDR was not. Colorful explanation is provided.) He offers a theory of chicken soup that links it -successfully - to most of the world's cuisines. He is never dull. Mason: "It seems that in English that you have to prove that you're not emotional in order to have class." He posits his sociolinguistic theory (which you've heard if you've seen or heard his stage show) that the more emotional the speech - content and structure - the more "low class" the speaker. He defends emotionality. He loves Yiddish, and in fact the language (black English, specifically) of any people engaged in a battle of wits to survive.

Amazon.com

Those who find their equanimity challenged by the lucubrations of William F. Buckley Jr. will surely see their torpor evanesce after reading The Lexicon. Monosyllabically: if it bugs you when you read words you don't know, this book will help. Buckley is renowned (and sometimes unfairly reviled) for his extensive working vocabulary, from which he unerringly picks the right word for every occasion. The Lexicon is a pocket guide to his esoterica with several hundred entries, each concisely defined and accompanied by an example of its use from his writings, which is quite a handy feature. For example:

lucubrate (verb) To discourse learnedly in writing.
Under the Eisenhower program, one could lucubrate over constitutional rights and freedoms and forever abandon captured American soldiers.

It is a sign of his skill as a writer that the book may be read for pleasure. Illustrations by Arnold Roth add to the enjoyment, making this the perfect introduction to Buckleyian erudition. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

This boon to logophiles, culled from Buckley: The Right Word, presents the author’s most erudite, outré, and interesting words - from prehensile and sciolist to rubric and histrionic - complete with definitions, examples, and usage notes. Introduction by Jesse Sheidlower; illustrations by Arnold Roth.

Customer Reviews:

A Real Treasure.......2005-07-06

This witty, neat little book is the perfect gift for word-lovers of all ages. I am a college professor, and a published author, and this book has really helped me in my writing. If only I could speak as well as Buckley does...

utterly usable,licentious miscibles of miso-communist.......2001-09-08

Buckley has fashioned yet another utterly usable list stoppage, badinage of detritus waiting in abeyance for the vagaries of postmodernities force fields to scour through yet another product emanation from an impeccable vainglorious watchdog for the Ruling Classes. The predictable augurs,tail wagging, arbiter elegantiae, his indolence doesn't quite proceed to the corruptible USA Senators. We have provincial sentence examples of humorous references to the rogues gallery of the communist world but his spleen venting abruptly halts itself at the shores of the Potomac. I can see/envisioned Buckley's upbeat brow turned upwards,ad spasmistaie towards the heavens,fully content with his own conceit, his odious animus against all that doesn't strike,agree,conspire congruently with capitalistic content,its resonant free world peel of greed bells.

Word of the Day Webmaster Cautiously Recommends.......2001-07-30

When it comes to the English language William F. Buckley is an epicurean extraordinaire and "The Lexicon" is a must for any committed logophile. Still a few caveats must be undulated

Some of the words included are as quizzical as some of those that are omitted. Alphabetically, the reference runs from "abattoir" to "xenophobia"--which seems a strange place to stop. Why there is no inclusion of "yokefellow" or "yaw" nor "zaftig" or "zeitgeist" is enigmatic at best. A second anomaly is that certain definitions differ from what is found my copy of "Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary." Mr. Buckley identifies "promulgate" as "to issue a new law or regulation;" Webster's definition says "to make known by open declaration...(or) to set forth or teach publicly." For "synecdoche" Mr. Buckley offers "the single example in place of the whole; the one for the many." Webster is more encompassing with "a figure of speech in which the part is used for the whole or the whole for a part." Webster's says that "kedge" means "to wrap or pull...(or) a small anchor," while Buckley's related but contrasting explanation reads "to anchor securely." As with ALL vocabulary sources, check the definition in a dictionary before using the word!

While not terribly detrimental Mr. Buckley pleonastically includes more than one form of several words. The use of both "intrinsic" and "intrinsically," "mollify" and mollifying," "invidious" and "invidiously," "stultification and stultifying" among many other double versions comes across as a rebarbative padding device--completely unnecessary in a collection this tumescent.

While the incorporation of words such as "salient," "levity," "obtrude," "junket" and a handful of other less than exotic choices is debatable, the assumption that some readers will be unacquainted with them is not quixotic. However, selecting "plainspoken" for placement within such a gallimaufry is truly outlandish. It seems highly doubtful that anyone unfamiliar with such a quotidian word would have the need for such an abstruse vocabulary primer.

Despite these minor to moderate drawbacks, this book is unreservedly recommended for those interested in elevating their speaking prowess. For three years I have been operating a "Word of the Day" email service/webpage (sent me a message if you wish to join) and "The Lexicon" boasted a plethora of specimens that I had never before encountered. So while all my above comments are valid, they are nugatory distractions compared to the numinous lagniappes that can be acquired from a perusal or two.

Fantastic book for word lovers.......2000-07-25

This is THE book to have if you love English. There are wonderful examples of each word included. It's nice little size make it easy to take with you. The only reason it didn't get five stars from me is that it lacks the pronunciation of each word. Some you can guess, others, well, you better have a good dictionary on hand!

The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of More Than 3,500 Terms And Expressions (Writers Library)

Average customer rating:

A recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings
stuffed to the gills with cock and bull stories

The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of More Than 3,500 Terms And Expressions (Writers Library)
Christine Ammer
Manufacturer: Checkmark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0816062803

Customer Reviews:

A recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings .......2006-12-12

The meanings and origins of literally thousands of words and definitions come to life in a newly expanded, updated edition of a popular title, which adds hundreds of new cliches from all walks of life -including the business world as well as popular culture - and provides an indexed, cross-referenced survey of all. It's a recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings - and many a public library will also find it important.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

stuffed to the gills with cock and bull stories.......2006-05-13

After an art instructor of mine expressed a passing interest in the original meanings of expressions, I decided to search the Amazon to find him an appropriate Teacher Appreciation Day gift book. I could not believe the numerous results that popped up not only from my initial query, but from trails like "customers who bought this item also bought..." and "explore other similar items...". Jeez, who knew - and why didn't I know - that all these wonderful references existed! I picked out five of the most highly rated ones and set about vetting them for the best. The winner: the Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches.

With almost 4,000 entries, this certainly qualifies as the most extensive book of clich? listings that I've come across so far. There are a plethora of old favorites that may have their origins in the Bible, poetry, literature, or historical developments that have long since sunk into obscurity; and there are 500 newer, i.e. late 20th Century updates like "no-brainer" and "bad hair day". Each entry describes the meanings, origins and early uses (when known), development and present-day useage. The author also provides sample quotes just like "real" dictionaries do.

For my purposes, I was also searching for a clich? reference book that was both entertaining *and* brief in descriptions and explanations (my teacher is a bit dyslexic). FOFDOC was also the best compromise between those two somewhat conflicting qualities. I could have gone with Myron Korach's Common Phrases and Where They Come From, but some of the stories were a bit long-winded (clich?s are infectious, no?) and besides, it wasn't nearly as extensive at only about 500 listings. On the other hand (ooooh, there I go again!), James Rogers' Dictionary of Cliches was the closest contender in terms of quality, but still fell short (I realize now that I just can't help myself) in quantity at only @ 2,000.

I found myself referring to the FOFDOC often in the last few weeks while I waited for Teacher Appreciation Day. I am thinking of getting a copy for myself now, and by extension for my children when they'll be old enough to need a writer's reference. Now, what to do with the other four?
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Average customer rating:

Excellent

Contemporary Guide To Literary Terms
Edwin Barton , and Glenda A. Hudson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618341625

Book Description

A Contemporary Guide to Literary Terms is a brief, inexpensive, and accessible handbook of literary terms for a full range of courses, including introduction to literature, literature for composition, American literature, British literature, and Shakespeare. In clear, concise, and user-friendly language, the text highlights its entries with contemporary, multicultural examples. This edition features more terms and new entries for all periods of literary history.

Additional features of the second edition include a new section on grammar and style and two new essays in the "Strategies for Writing Essays about Literature" section (one comparing two texts and one comparing a film and a text).
Clear, brief, reader-friendly entries, which don't assume extensive knowledge of literature, offer specific quotations from texts and commentary on the examples.
Demonstrations of practical criticism illustrate literary terms, approaches, and theories and make individual entries useful for classroom discussion. No other literary handbook or glossary performs this task or employs this strategy.
Expanded examples with analyses are taken from a wide range of varied literary sources (both classic and contemporary) and films. Entries are more informative and appealing than lists typically found in the appendices of introduction to literature texts.
Useful pedagogical materials include sample student essays with annotations, background narratives on processes of writing, advice for essay examinations, and guides to using MLA documentation and avoiding plagiarism.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-06-11

Perfect condition as promised. Delivered right on time...will definitely keep using Amazon for my textbooks..a great find for college students!

The Japanese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Japanese Thought and Culture

Average customer rating:

Dense but impressive
Great Learning Tool
A Window into a Unique World
Excellent roundtrip into Japanese spoken lifestyles.
Informative and Entertaining

The Japanese Have a Word for It: The Complete Guide to Japanese Thought and Culture
Boye Lafayette De Mente
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0844283169

Customer Reviews:

Dense but impressive.......2007-08-16

The Japanese have a much more complex, almost religious, relationship with their own language than speakers of European languages, and they tend to believe that no non-Japanese can learn it. (The fact that some do tends to upset them, as being out of the natural order.) There are many words and phrases in Japanese that encapsulate attitudes and built-in beliefs and the author selects 230 for investigation and explanation, relating them to attitudes and actions by Japanese-speakers and explaining how English-speakers can best deal with the situations they relate to. This includes numerous aspects of the Japanese dependence on form and formality, cultural control and conformity, group-think as opposed to individuality, group responsibility and social guaranty, reverence toward government, and other parts of the Japanese psyche that are difficult for foreigners to understand. In most cases, he also discusses the applications of a concept to business negotiations, but the possibility of the reader becoming enlightened about all things Japanese is much wider than that. This is a book you should take notes on.

Great Learning Tool.......2006-07-23

This book is fantastic! It is a great learning tool for the language and meaning of the Japanese language! I highly recommend this book!

A Window into a Unique World.......2006-06-01

This book demystifies the Japanese culture.

What does it mean when a Japanese person offers to 'show you their stomach'? (P120) How do they 'take the pulse of the situation'? (p268) What is 'a life without a soul?' (p148)

There's so much packed into the 394 pages to digest. Luckily each word or phrase is a short chapter. The reader can chew it over in a leasurely manner.

Essential reading.

Excellent roundtrip into Japanese spoken lifestyles........1998-11-27

Knowing that Japan uses it language differently than English, but not why, I found this presentation provided numerous insights.

Informative and Entertaining.......1998-10-01

He may not be Reischauer but Mr. De Mente packs enough cultural and historical background into this book to make it a worthy read for Japanese scholars or anyone with an interest in Japan. The author presents the reader with about 150 Japanese words and phrases that have special meaning for the Japanese. For example, he translates the word "kamatoto" into English as "The Dumb Blonde" i.e the Japanese propensity to feign innocence in order to gain the upper hand in a relationship or business deal. "Wa" or "harmony" is succinctly though brilliantly explained and would be something any foreign businessperson dealing with Japan should appreciate. I have read other books by Mr. De Mente but this is by far his most informative and well written. Recommended!

Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis

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Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis
Patrice Pavis
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802081630

Book Description

Patrice Pavis is one of France's most brilliant academics and a leading expert internationally in the theory of theatre. Dictionary of the Theatre is an English translation of Pavis's acclaimed Dictionnaire du théâtre, now in its second printing in France.

This encyclopedic dictionary includes theoretical, technical, and semiotic terms and concepts. Alphabetical entries range from 'absurd' to 'word scenery' and treat the reader to a vast panoply of theatre and theory. The extended discussions are supported by useful examples drawn from the international repertoire of plays and playwrights, both classic and contemporary. The Foreword is by Marvin Carlson.

This dictionary is remarkably well integrated, partly because of its excellent system of cross-referencing, but also because it represents the vision and scholarship of a single, recognized authority. There is no other source like it available and it will be warmly welcomed by the English-language theatre world.

Random House Webster's Word Menu (Random House Newer Words Faster)

Average customer rating:

16 year mystery solved !
Outstanding!
Word Menu - Another tool for a writer
A MUST FOR WRITERS!
Font Much Too Small

Random House Webster's Word Menu (Random House Newer Words Faster)
Stephen Glazier
Manufacturer: Random House Reference
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375700838
Release Date: 1998-07-21

Book Description

The revolutionary, all-in-one dictionary/thesaurus/almanac.

Glazier's critically acclaimed Random House Webster's Word Menu is the definitive language reference for anyone who reads, writes creatively or simply loves to explore linguistic relationships.

This rich storehouse of language organizes the vocabulary of English by subject matter, reflecting the way we actually look at the world around us. A totally new kind of language resource, Random House Webster's Word Menu combines the virtues of an entire shelf of reference works:

Full dictionary, thesaurus and almanac
Reverse dictionary: when you can't think of the obscure word you're looking for, find it by looking up the common word you already know
Multiple glossaries: find just the right terms for foods and finery, weather and weapons, romance and relativity

Customer Reviews:

16 year mystery solved !.......2007-06-20

And we have a winner ! Back around 1991, a brainy friend of mine showed me a book and said, "This is a thesaurus, a sort of backward thesaurus." And I said, "Oh." and flipped through it a little bit. I saw a term for clearing a field for crops by burning it and thought, "Hm. How would I ever remember that word?" Well, ever since then, every time I see any non-alphabetical thesauri that claim to be novel in format and complete in content, I promptly follow the steps and try to re-find that lost word.

On and off, of course, this wasn't an obsession, but I would say I've tried around 10 different resources including any "backwards thesaurus" I see including McCutcheons "Descriptionary" which is a lot of fun anyway.

For those wondering how this book works, it is basically lists of sublists, and sub-sublists to a final list of one or two hundred words that you scan a brief 10 word (or so) definition to see if it is what you need. For example, I see a foot rest in my mind, but can't remember the word "ottoman"... I'd go to the biggest chunk, "Domestic Life", and under that list find, "Home" and then to "Furnishings" and then to "Chairs and Sofas" and there would find many many words I scan one of which is ottoman. By the way, apparently, all of reality can be categorized in 7 big chunks : Nature, Science and Technology, Domestic Life, Institutions, Arts and Leisure, Language, and The Human Condition. So for my "foot rest" example, once you choose "Domestic Life" as your first 'chunk' you are only 3 hops away (Home, Furnishings, Chairs) and you are scanning for your word 'ottoman'.

Only 2 small complaints: One is the possibility of blind alleys / dead ends that I'm sure all books of this type are subject to. For instance, I would probably have put the sub-list "Agriculture" under science and technology and not under economics. Not really a problem though since you can go to the back and find not only every word that's in the book, in the index, but all of the list headings. Boom! There's 'Agriculture' and I'm back on track.

The only other complaint is that the "Brief Table of Contents" which comprise the 1st 2 'chunking' or 'drilling down steps' (Domestic Life and Home, in our example) is separated by 11 pages from the complete Table of Contents thereby separating the first two largest general category lists from the 2 finer more specific lists. You find yourself using multiple fingers to hold pages and flip back and forth trying different routes. Why separate them? What is on the intervening pages breaking up my flow? Oddly : the Acknowledgements, Staff and Consultants, The Preface, the Biography of the Author, and the User's Guide. These are minor irritations and in no way daunting. The only thing daunting about this book is the notion of compiling it.

So here we are, 2007, and this book did what none other could do. Isolate the word I'd been looking for for so long. Is it fair to give a book a good review based on its ability to retrieve one word? Is this fair and scientific? Didn't I base this review well enough on the overall structure and efficiency of its format ? Was the "Random House Word Menu" that very book my friend handed me in ca. 1991? Should I reveal my secret word ? How about a hint? That's what the windsed to do. W-I-N-D-S-E-D. Do the anagram, or just get the "Word Menu".

Outstanding!.......2007-01-01

After the OED, this is my all-time favorite reference work. Nothing else comes close to this grand work. Words are associated according to predominant use (yes, a tricky proposition at best), but amazingly, for the most part, it works. Words are categorized like Linnaean taxonomy, such as "science, arts, economics," etc. Systematic thinkers will have no difficulty finding associated words and concepts, while those who prefer a more direct route can simply consult the "index" at the end, which leads to the place it has been categorized in the front. Either way, everyone wins.

But the associations are magisterial, not just "related" or similar, but the whole constellation of likely associated words, acronyms, synonyms, and hierarchies of genus, species, and sub-species. There are more "linked" words than anyone can possibly imagine, or if one can imagine them, Word Menu has too. Short of an unabridged edition of the English language, nothing compares to this compilation.

Two observations. (1) Don't waste money on the "pocket-book" edition, it's too tiny and too microscopic to be as useful as this reference will be. (2) The only "oddity" is that all biological terms and concepts are under "Living Things," not under "Science," much less "Biology." No matter how many times I tell myself of this odd feature, I always default to "Science > Biology" and then find nothing. All those biological concepts and words are under "Living Things" apart from the section "Sciences." Odd. Very odd. Who conceived "Living Things" as a category of Human Thought along a Linnean taxonomy distinct from "Science?" Even so, why not just move "Living Things" to Science, and then to "Biology," rather than leaving "Biology" an empty (indeed, an "unmentioned" set)? Well, there's always the index for these situations.

Unfortunately, at time of review, no hardbound copy is in print (shame on Random House). And aside from the "Living Things" oddity, I find this reference so intuitive, so helpful, associating associations I would have to think long and hard to recall, that are here in an instant, plus a treasury un-thought or unconsidered too. Thesauruses are great references (assuming one finds a good one), but this reference has riches that even the best Thesaurus cannot match. And best of all, both systematic and direct thinkers can access the same work from different directions and both achieve their desired ends. A "must" reference for all of us who seek associations we weren't even sure were associated, and then some!

Word Menu - Another tool for a writer.......2006-11-11

Word Menu by Stephen Glazier is a great tool for a writer concerned with percision of language and clear communication.

A MUST FOR WRITERS!.......2006-05-16

I have several copies of the Word Menu at each of my work stations. The way this dictionary-like book is indexed is terrific. You can look up topics to find related words. This is a great addition to a word reference library. If you need a better word to describe what you want to say, this is the perfect book that will help you find that exact word. A must for writers!

Font Much Too Small.......2005-05-01

This Ballantine Books edition of Glazier's useful book is printed in a font that is *very* hard to read. There have been/are other larger editions of this book that use larger fonts and are more readable. I suggest you try to obtain one of them.

While searching for larger editions, I also discovered--but did not examine-software versions of this volume as well for both Microsoft-based and Macintosh computers.

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