Subjects:  1. Americanisms    2. Dictionaries - General    3. Earth Sciences - Geography    4. Geography    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Names, Geographical    7. Reference    8. Terminology    9. United States    10. Reference / Dictionaries   

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. English language    3. Grammar    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    8. Report writing    9. Rhetoric    10. English    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    12. Writing skills   

Reviews (16)

yeaa
its not really that bad.no one would buy this book if they didn't have to.no one would ever buy textbooks if they didn't have to.but it waseasy to read and follow and i got an easy A in the class with the textbook.

balanced or biased?
How interesting that the reviewers comment on the presumed politics of the writer before looking at the quality of the text. More interesting still, that some see the text slanted to the right and others to the left. Well done, Lucas.
efficiency
Got it he book is on time. the book is very educational and intresting. it aids you and you willlearn it lot. for those whohave fear of publice speaking, trust me after utilising all the tool { cds and materials etc.} you shall over come. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Language    2. Language Arts & Disciplines    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Linguistics    5. Public Speaking    6. English    7. Language Arts & Disciplines / Public Speaking    8. Public speaking / elocution   

Subjects:  1. Reference   

Editorial Review

Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph.Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. ... Read more

Reviews (254)

A mixed bag
This book has some good writing advice, which I appreciate, but I was annoyed by the intrusive religious comments. It should have been marketed as a Christian writing book, or else I wish they had left the religion out of it. I do not expect to find this when I purchase a writing book. I want to hear about writing, not about how God can make me a better writer.
Worth reading and Saving !
This is one of the books that I will keep and re-read.Very well written and inspiring.I LOVED IT !! Made me "want" to write and made me feel that I could actually write something worth reading.

Depressing
I found this book very depressing. Anne Lamott's constant self-deprecation throughout the book caused me to really doubt myself as well. I know she is doing it to show that she's human just like the rest of us, but I think she can show that without hating on herself every chance she gets (saying the 9-year-old version of herself looked like a neurotic cat woman, etc.) despite what she says about how you shouldn't do that. It's like hanging around with a bunch of anorexic models, it gets to you.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Journalism    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Reference    8. Writing Skills    9. Reference / Writing Skills   

Subjects:  1. Clinical medicine    2. Diseases    3. Life Sciences - Biology - General    4. Medical    5. Medical / Nursing    6. Medical Research    7. Research    8. Clinical & Internal Medicine    9. Science / Biology   

Reviews (28)

The Elements of Style: A Classic with Timeless Advice
Although the original Elements of Style was written in 1919 (or earlier), it still holds true that anyone who wants to learn how to write in a clear and concise manner will benefit from this book. After reading this book you'll know to avoid breaking elementary rules and principles that are made in writing: excessiveuse of adjectives and adverbs, writing in the passive voice, using different tenses in writing, using the improper case of pronouns (example: using "who" when "whom" should be used and vice versa).
A Classic
This book was required for my high school English classes back in the late '60's. As an English professor, I use this book today. Many generations of students have benefited from this book's informal, conversational approach to teaching formal English (that is, excellent English that is precise and concise in form and content). Although I don't personally like the illustrations, this is my favorite edition of the book because the illustrations add a whimsical informality to substantive content.

Pictures + Punctuation= Fabulous Source of Info
The Elements of Style was great before pictures were added, but the color adds even that much more to a great source for grammar and punctuation.Easy to navigate, great examples through sentences and excerpts.Strunk and White have done it right! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. English Composition    2. English Grammar    3. English language    4. Reference    5. Report writing    6. Rhetoric    7. Style    8. Writing Skills    9. Reference / Writing Skills   

Features

• Audiobook

Reviews (11)

have a useful carjourney
First time I used my time in the car in a different way; it really helps coping with standing in a queue..(I live in the London area; perhaps you are familiar with the amount of waisted time sitting in a car..?)
excellent
Gives a very concrete approach to learning Italian phrases.Enjoyed the progressive building of vocabulary and the review style of phrases presented in the CD.

Drive Time: Italian
I am a beginner in the Italian language and this audio CD was extremely easy to follow.I found that the words and phrases stuck in my mind even after I stopped listening.I recommended this to a co-worker and she also appreciated the ease this CD brought. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    2. Foreign Language Study    3. Italian    4. Language    5. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    6. Foreign Language Study / Italian    7. Language workbooks, practice books & exercises   

Reviews (42)

My favorite
I am an EFL teacher and have dictionaries of different publishers. MW9 was my first dictionary of a kind and it started the life-long romance with this beautiful piece of lexicography. The 11th edition is a step forward,the only thing lacking being the list of colleges and universities in US and Canada, which I do miss. Otherwise, the only competition this dictionary can have is the new edition of Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary by OUP, but I still think MW11 is more up-to-date and interesting to use.

Missing some stuff
I bought this dictionary for the CD ROM that comes with it.Websters makes by far the best computer dictionary available and when you combine it with the computer thesaurus you have a very powerful writing tool.
Scholastic Dictionary
So far I am pleased with this dictionary.I had to make the purchase for my 6th & 8th graders, and I believe they are finding it easy to use. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dictionaries    2. Dictionaries - General    3. English language    4. Reference    5. English   

Reviews (51)

Take it for what it is!
Some writers need to not take themselves so seriously here. This is *not* a textbook on writing or publishing. There's no advice or sage wisdom on plot or character or dialogue or style. Chris doesn't tell you how to format your manuscript so as not to be marked an amateur by a publisher. It never claimed to be that. He tells you up front it's not that. There are hundreds of other books that address these issues.
Try it, I dare you!:)
I purchased Chris Baty's "No Plot? No Problem!" when it came out in 2004, read through it and thought, "hey, I could try this, but maybe later."Well, "later" became two years.I picked it back up this summer, read it cover to cover and picked August as the month in which I would write my next novel in its entirety.I did what Baty said, created a small support group, found plenty of blocks of time, even signed the contract in the book (and I don't write in books!).I was on my way.I threw convention and sense to the wind and finished my first writing day with nearly 1600 words and a cramp in my hand.I could do this.Day 2 I was still optimistic even though I couldn't think of much to say and had just over half of the previous day's word count.So, it'd be harder than I thought, but I could do this.
Great for people just starting out...
There are many of us out there who have never published a novel but who wanted to give an effort to write one.We walk into a book store and search, high and low, for that one perfect book that we believe will help us write that novel.The problem is, which book to buy?
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    10. Body, Mind & Spirit / General    11. Creative writing guides   

Reviews (9)

Great review information
This book contains great information on reviewing in Science, Math, and Verbal Ability

This book s.u.c.k. s
Don't waist your time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (1/100) of this books information was even on the test. I have a 3.8 GPA and I wasn't nearly prepared, I hate mary mcdonald!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good reference, if you use common sense.
I just got my exam scores back and I got a 118, a composite percent score of 78 for the ADN program section I'm interested in, I'm not completely sure of my school's minimum standard, but the numbers look good to me. This book was helpful in getting me there. It contained very good information and practice questions that were very close in format to the real exam questions on the test. Having said that I say that this book is a valuable TOOL, not an answer book. You have to know the material in advance and then this book will be a great review for you. The formating is orderly and the summaries at each section are great for a brush up of the subject. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to enter the nursing program, it's well organized and worth the money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Examination Questions    2. Examinations, questions, etc    3. General    4. Medical    5. Medical / Nursing    6. Nursing    7. Nursing - General    8. Nursing - Test Preparation & Review    9. Test Prep    10. Medical / Nursing / Test Preparation & Review    11. Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects   

Reviews (2)

Best current reference on Arabic
In 39 crisp chapters covering more than 700 pages Ryding organizes both the grand lines and essential details of Arabic language structure and grammar. This is a highly readable, easily searched linguistic reference. The index really does the job and her list of references alone is a significant academic contribution. Finally, this gem will make life easier for both students of Arabic and researchers. All my thumbs are up for this once in a lifetime linguistic treasure.

breath-taking
after experimenting with a lot of arabic grammar books I have finally met the most engaging one.I can not imagine the right words to give sufficient definition of the capabilities of this breath-taking book.every sentence is supplied with full transliteration.extensive,exhausive but not exhaushing.it is a must to buy book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Arabic    2. Arabic language    3. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    4. General    5. Grammar    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Arabian peninsula    9. Grammar, syntax, linguistic structure    10. Language Arts & Disciplines / General    11. Saudi Arabia   

Reviews (3)

Speech
I trully enjoyed this book, even though I am not a fan of text books. It has helped me develop stronger speaking skills, and I am not very good at public speaking. It's not a how to book, its simply a guide which offers tips and ideas on how you should present various topics.

FINALLY, Someone who can teach public speaking!
As a college instructor of oral communication for ten years, I complained bitterly about the poor selection of books for beginning students--until now.This is the single best book of its kind on the market, bar none.In all my years, I've never had students brag on a book like this one: easy to read, well-organized, thoughtful, practical, visually attractive, and substantive.My best compliment is that I can teach three times the material in half the time just by using this text--and people understand it!I can't brag enough on the author's work.This is phenomenal.ANYONE who wants to master the basics of public speaking should read this cover to cover.The principles and techniques Mr. Gregory describes are effective, powerful, and described in a simple way.BRAVO!I'll recommend this to everyone.

VERY GOOD!
I'm a student at a local college here in Jersey City. I found this book very easy to read but doesn't defeat the purpose to inform. I really wish I can have him as my teacher.Read more

Subjects:  1. Language    2. Language Arts & Disciplines    3. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    4. Public Speaking    5. Communication studies    6. Language Arts & Disciplines / Public Speaking   

Editorial Review

The world is divided into two types of people: those who wince when they seethe words Read more

Reviews (58)

Took two weeks to get here
Shipping took way too long to get here, almost 14 days. They probably could have chosen a better option to send it, but didn't.

Fast & Pragmatic Rules for the Busy Writer
It's not just for reporters.If you write letters, memos, reports, updates, briefs, and the like, this book will make you a more competent and confident writer.
Insufficient but requisite!
If you write or publish regularly, you'll need to devise addendums to the AP Guide. A short list might evolve into your own style guide, since the AP may not cover abbreviations you commonly use, for example. But this guide is indispensible prior to (or in lieu of) having your own guide (a monstrous task). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - Newspapers/Magazines    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Journalism    4. Journalistic Writing    5. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    6. Libel and slander    7. Media & the Law    8. Reference    9. Research And Report Writing    10. Style manuals    11. United States    12. Writing Skills    13. Communications law    14. USA    15. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book!
A must-have book.Informative and excellently written.Gives all the information you want on Public speaking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Performing Arts    5. Public speaking    6. Speech    7. Theater - General    8. Language Arts & Disciplines / Speech    9. Language teaching & learning material & coursework    10. Phonetics, phonology, prosody (speech)   

Subjects:  1. College readers    2. Composition & Creative Writing - Academic    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. English Composition    5. English language    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    10. Report writing    11. Rhetoric    12. Creative writing guides    13. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing    14. Writing skills   

Subjects:  1. Cognitive Psychology    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    5. Linguistics    6. Reference    7. Language & Linguistics    8. Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics   

Reviews (2)

Oxford-River English-Thai Dictionary plugs the gaps
At last an excellent and truly comprehensive English Thai dictionary.Arguably its best feature is the wealth of common expressions it includes under most listed words, expressions that frequently have no literal construction or translation but are essential to easy and natural conversation.The alphebetically positioned special explanation panels - eg. forms of address in letter writing, the use numerals etc. -are a very worthwhile inclusion as well.One suggestion for the next edition would be a phonetic rendition of theprimary Thai translation of the listed English word - given the implied vowels that feature in many Thai words this improvement would be warmly welcomed and at least for this reader would immediately propel his rating from four to five stars.

Very useful!
An amazing piece of work! It is probably the only one of its kind in the market. It is particularly good for Thai speakers, but it can also help non-native learners trying to learn Thai. Although it is just English-Thai (with no Thai-English section), as long as you can manage to read the Thai (no transliterations) you can get a lot from it. Each entry has many examples of both literal-like (real, but close to the English in their form) and (more interestingly) "functional" Thai equivalents to the English. And these examples seem to be quite real and natural (linguistically "trustable" Thai friends report). Other Thai dictionaries often present Thai sentences that are so improvable... It has been cleverly made to include many multi-purpose sentences in most entries; so in entries like, say, "do" you find very useful Thai equivalents to "Do something to someone", "Is there anything I can do to help?", "Have nothing to do", "What is that/he doing here?", "What am I going to do?" and so on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chinese    2. Dictionaries    3. Dictionaries - General    4. English language    5. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    6. Foreign Language Study    7. Language    8. Polyglot Dictionaries    9. Reference    10. Southeast Asian    11. Thai    12. Bilingual dictionaries    13. English    14. Foreign Language Study / Southeast Asian Languages    15. Reference | Bilingual Dictionaries | Other    16. Thai (Siamese)   

Reviews (14)

College type text book
I recommend this book because it covers all the material for the Private Pilot license in an easy to understand manner.It is full of colored pictures and important concepts in bold print.This is a great book for studying to become a private pilot.

I used it, now my students do.
Yes, I know it's pricey. Think of it as an investment. Buy it. End of story.

Excellent book, execpt 1 thing!
Overall the book was great, it gave me my pilots license but the 1 thing the book didn't do so well on was the weather section. I had trouble understanding the weather theory section so I had to refrence another book so I could learn about the weather. That's it, just the theory, the weather reports and forcast section was good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Airplanes    2. Aviation - Piloting & Flight Instruction    3. Handbooks & Manuals    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Piloting    6. Private flying    7. Reference    8. Transportation   

Reviews (11)

Rules For Writers
Comprehensive grammar book.Great sections on APA and MLA format writing.

The best writing reference I've found for the SAT Writing Section
I'm an SAT tutor, and I haven't been thrilled with many of the grammar/usage/writing SAT books on the market.They usually do a decent job on a few topics but not all topics.I'm getting this book for every one of my students (and my own son) because it will not only help them with the SAT writing section but it serves as the best ongoing reference for their use in school.I haven't tried the CD-ROM yet (sold separately) but it has over 1000 practice exercises.

Comprehensive, better than the Bedford Handbook
The college where I teach English composition used Rules for Writers as the Handbook for three or four years. It now uses the Bedford Handbook. I found Rules for Writers to be very full and useful for every aspect of teaching, not only grammar and punctuation, but for composition and research writing as well. It tends to have fairly exhaustive explanations of most points of grammar. It has an especially good section on ESOL problems.All in all, it is a practical useful book that I keep on my writing desk for my own use, even though it is no longer used in our classes.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Language Arts & Disciplines / Composition & Creative Writing