The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate [Hardcover]

Eugene Ehrlich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 1994

Anyone looking to improve his or her vocabulary and anyone who loves words will be enthralled by this unique and impressive thesaurus that provides only the most unusual -- or is it recondite? --words for each entry.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you're serious about writing and speaking language that crackles with delightful and obscure words, then you must have this book. As indicated by the title, it is a selective thesaurus containing 50,000 words and phrases, focusing on the more arcane or colorful choices. The main weakness is lack of cross-referencing, but it is nonetheless a superlative supplement to standard thesauri or synonym dictionaries.

From Library Journal

Ehrlich, coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary, here indulges his obvious love of uncommon words with a short list of terms paired with an idiosyncratic selection of synonyms. Containing fewer than 8000 entries and illustrated with amusing line drawings, it is a fun book to browse. A majority of the entries give only a single synonym, which could be found in a standard paperback thesaurus. While it is intriguing to scan the bizarre and unfamiliar synonyms chosen, the size and selectivity of this work limit its usefulness. Browsers and word collectors will have fun with this little book, but writers and speakers searching for the right word will be better served by a more comprehensive and less quirky thesaurus.
Paul D'Alessandro, Portland P.L., Me.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Collins Reference; 1 edition (April 27, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062700162
• ISBN-13: 978-0062700162
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Synonyms & Antonyms
  • #41 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Thesauruses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Addition to Any Reference Shelf, January 4, 2000

By 

David Wolf (Beijing) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate (Hardcover)

I love my Roget's Thesaurus, and I use it often in work and correspondence. But there is are times when the words it supplies are - well - a tad too commonplace. Sometimes you need to use a word that conveys subtle shadings of meaning, and other times you just want to use a word to show the other guy how intelligent you really are. That's where The Highly Selective Thesaurus comes in. As a sheer ratio, I probably use this once for every four times I use Rogets, but as a writer friend once told me, you never need a really good, five-dollar word until you need it _badly_. If you are building or adding to your references, you must purchase this and its companion volume, the Highly Selective Dictionary, to accompany your Websters and your Rogets - and even your Encarta.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Supplemental Thesaurus, January 24, 2003

By 

Tanja Joham (Henderson, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate (Hardcover)

This book is worthless as one's ONLY thesaurus. However, I bought this title as a supplement for Roget... and in that capacity, I LOVE IT! There are times when I just can't find the perfect word to express myself in a conventional thesaurus... That's when I break out my Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate (although I can only admit to moderate literacy) and usually find something intriguing... at least to me!

Owning a book with such an audacious description of the owner in the title may (to some) appear to require an extra-large helping of egocentrism. But come on... it's meant to be funny... There's no need to get all worked up over the title!

The bottom line is this: it's a good reference to have around IN ADDITION to a more meat-and-potatoes thesaurus.

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Trumped Up Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Gullible, February 20, 2002

By 

YuppiePunk "YuppiePunk" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate (Hardcover)

Nearly all the synonyms offered by Ehrlich can be found in any good general thesaurus. The few additions they make are nothing more than gold platted saw dust and anyone with collegiate English skills would recognize the [overblown] attempt to sound "Extraordinarily Literate." If you need a book to make yourself feel more secure in your writing abilities, feel free to waste your money. Personally, I'd ... just use thesaurus.com. If you're in need of a serious writing tool, look at J.I. Rodale's "Synonym Finder" or Roget's until they come up with something better.