Product Description

Based on the contention that we do not utillize speech to its fullest extent, this guide is an essential aide to unlocking our "passive" vocabularies and developing a keener appreciation of the richness of language.

Indispensable For Writers, Speakers, Teachers!
-- Enrich your vocabulary
-- Express yourself clearly -- and beautifully
-- Fun and easy to use!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12350 in Books
• Published on: 1982-07-12
• Released on: 1982-07-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 256 pages

Inside Flap Copy
Based on the contention that we do not utillize speech to its fullest extent, this guide is an essential aide to unlocking our "passive" vocabularies and developing a keener appreciation of the richness of language.

Indispensable For Writers, Speakers, Teachers!
-- Enrich your vocabulary
-- Express yourself clearly -- and beautifully
-- Fun and easy to use!

Customer Reviews

Never Puerile; always piquant
I have read many a langauge maven wordivoracious vocab book in my day. None compare to this compendium of brilliantly chosen, exquisitely executed words. This book has a very easy to read format and a friendly tone to it. If you memorize most of the words within, you will nevery sound picayune in your interviews. More importantly, women will stare fervidly at you, the cynosure of all eyes, after you drop a sesquipidalian speech over some post prandial wine!!

Great resource. Boring format
Ok, this book has great vocabulary, and great definitions and usage, however the formatting is the biggest problem. Personally, it is much more difficult to read something like a dictionary than like a teaching guide. This reference book is just like a dictionary, but it only contains large vocabulary words. So, it is in alphabetical order and very un-exciting. Though that works for some people, it does not work for me. I am not inspired to learn vocabulary by simply reading a dictionary.

For this reason, I would recommend "Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Builder" because it is more of a teaching guide, with interactive lessons. I prefer this method of learning, and format, compared to "1000 Most Important Words." There is a lot to learn in this book, but you may find each passing page depressing.

Politics/prejudice don't belong in a book like this.
I've barely made it to a fraction of the book but every few pages there's a sentence comparing democrats to communist or praising the civilized western world compared to the "savages" that live elsewhere. It's not obvious, just enough to make you go "huh" for a second then continue, then finally at the definition of the word "canard" there's an example mocking middle eastern countries, saying that reports of great victories, especially when issued by countries of the middle east, are almost always canards. Um, yeah, whatever. This guy also is obsessed with Muhammad Ali and takes a shot at him every once in a while. And hates OPEC, LOL. I haven't finished the book but I read enough to make my point here. I imagine this author is some old, bitter, right-wing republican and a closet bigot.