Customer Reviews

Endangered Words: A Collection of Rare Gems for Book Lovers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an entertaining book. It adds a little color to learning new words. I disagree with the author's use of the word "experimentally" as a baseline comparison for determining rarity. As an engineer, I admit bias; however, my utilization of "experimentally" goes back to high school science labs. Otherwise, a good book. Note that the author does ramble a lot about his personal opinions; there is a subsection under each titled "why I like the word." I can see why some might object to it; however, it can serve as another means to remember a new word, which is, after all, the reason someone should be reading Endangered Words.

I bought this for the Professor~~who has an English Major! He uses some words I never heard and now I'd like to give back to him some words he "might" not have ever heard or used! He has a way with words and I love it!! He will definitely put them to use and share them all with me. What a perfect gift for the one who has most everything he wants already.

Being a writer, I loved this little book. My brother bought it for me and it's always a joy to flip through. It's become a bit of an inside joke between me and my brother to say the word "schlimbesserung" in public (Noun: A so called improvement that makes things worse).

What a delight this little tome is! Far from being an imbroglio, or embroglio if you prefer, it captures the sense of and reason for continuing to use these interesting and entertaining bits of vocabulary. Words of varied origins have always enriched the English language, and this collection is no exception. The etymologies enhanced by quotations showing the words in use and the brief expository notes argue for keeping the words active. Logophile or not, readers will soon be feeling papilionaceous (like a butterfly or a sweet pea, as does this reviewer depending on the mood) from the enjoyment this book provides.

My brother loves to write along the lines of poetry. He was pretty thrilled about this book and said he couldn't wait to sit down with it. Its pretty clever. There are other books similar to this but the others i found didn't have as many words or weren't as descriptive of the words. And when it came down to the final decision, the gator on the front tipped the scale. Cute idea.

I love that this little book includes long lost words...not just for book lovers but excellent for collectors of words. I use it for studying the etymology of words and to create word study families. The complexity of the words lends itself to teaching kids the origin of words and studying the morphology.

I ordered the paperback version. The cover is thin and shiny. It came to me well wrapped and on time. It is fantastic if you want to improve your vocabulary. I am extremely glad that it has a pronunciation guide under the word. I recommend this book for a more older audience (not the most child friendly). In my opinion it lives up to its name.

Finding the right word and using it properly is very much akin to the adage, the right tool for the right job. It should be clear that if you are able to accurately use the correct word, you are probably able to think in a larger and richer fashion than say, someone whose best verbal presentations are, like, the daily f-word argot, et al. It is easy to savor the offerings of "Endangered Words" as they can be recognized as the means by which one can shed the build-up of brain lidocaine with it's unacceptable cognates (author's word from book, "origins") and see more keenly. I was told once that horizons were relative, ie, some folks enjoyed distant ones while other folks did not. I suspect that most of Simon Hertnon's lovely words, while exceedingly informative and fun to read, are not going to fit easily into one's vocabulary, but none the less, when they do, they land loudly in the center ring.

Forget crosswords and word finds! If you find you are bored with "Ameri-Common" vernacular, this book will challange and entertain you. The author does not list as many words as I expected, but still it is a good value for the money.
If you liked spelling bees as a kid, you will appreciate this book.

Purchased for a friend who probably already knew all of the endangered words. She enjoyed it!