Random House Word Menu: New and Essential Companion to the Dictionary [Hardcover]

Stephen Glazier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 1992

A revolutionary tool that has changed the way we use words, the Random House Word Menu functions in four ways: it is a thesaurus with definitions; a dictionary divided into word categories; a reverse dictionary; and a collection of glossaries. A writer's right hand and a browser's delight, this reference contains thousands of entries in over 800 categories.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Part thesaurus, part dictionary, part glossary, part vocabulary builder, part logophile's delight, this unique wordbook can be used productively for both quick reference and browsing. The book, which first appeared as a software product for PCs under the title Inside Information (Microlytics, 1990), classifies approximately 65,000 words into seven general categories (Nature, Science and Technology, Domestic Life, Arts and Leisure, etc.), which in turn are divided into numerous subcategories and sub-subcategories. Under Eating, for instance, a major subdivision of Domestic Life, the user finds several headings, including Foods, Cooking and Cuisine, and Eating Verbs; under the last heading, such terms as bolt , chew , chow down , devour , engorge , inhale , masticate , pig out , and quaff are briefly defined. A detailed table of contents provides access to the classification scheme and an A-Z index lists all words included in the book. Sometimes the Word Menu fails. Just two examples: superlatives such as best, first-class, outstanding, topnotch, and world class are not included, nor is amniocentesis found under Pregnancy and Birth. Notwithstanding its limitations, this book is enthusiastically recommended for all libraries, even the smallest. Glazier, a brilliant amateur lexicographer who died in early 1992 at age 44, has created the first bona fide classification of the English language since the 19th century, when Peter Mark Roget, another talented amateur, made a lasting name for himself.
- Ken Kister, author of "Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Stephen Glazier. . . was a modern Roget."
--William Safire, The New York Times


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 977 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference; 1 edition (September 29, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679400303
• ISBN-13: 978-0679400301
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.4 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most powerful word references in the world, October 5, 2002

By 

C.S. Haviland "CSHaviland.com" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Random House Webster's Word Menu (Mass Market Paperback)

I do not write without it. Together with J.I. Rodale's The Synonym Finder and DK's Ultimate Visual Dictionary it completes the Trinity of word desk references. If you are trying to decide between this book, Facts on File's Descriptionary, and Writer's Digest's Flip Dictionary, go with this book. I have all three and I use Word Menu 40 times to every one time I use either Flip Dictionary or Descriptionary, both of which are trying to do the same thing. Flip Dictionary comes close, and tries to do things a little differently, but Word Menu is my preference.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of its kind, August 18, 2004

By 

Jonathan Appleseed - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Random House Webster's Word Menu (Random House Newer Words Faster) (Paperback)

There are many different books that categorize words in a similar fashion as this book, but none do it as efficiently. This is simply the best of its kind, and I find myself using this regularly in my own writing.

It's impossible to be an expert on everything, or to remember every word that you've ever heard in your life. With this book, you'll be able to find and identify the words that are germane to the topic you're writing on, even if you won't know how to use them. For example, under Technology|Computers|Hardware and Peripherals, the acronym IRQ is listed. It's defined as an "Interrupt Request Line, a setting that controls communication of peripheral devices with the CPU". Now, that's one of the clearest definitions of an IRQ that I've ever come across in such few words, but seeing it there doesn't tell you how to use it. You'll still have some homework to do.

HOWEVER, if you need something like a title of rank, and are wondering what the proper term for the prime minister of an East Indian state is, you'll not only find it here, but be able to use it immediately. (The word, by the way, is Dewan.)

There are so many categories and subcategories that the scope of the book is daunting. I personally can't imagine putting it together, but am grateful that it was.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indespensible, July 12, 2000

By 

Deborah A. Woehr (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Random House Webster's Word Menu (Random House Newer Words Faster) (Paperback)

Has anyone heard of Eschatology? I hadn't until my writing instructor used that word in a letter he sent to me. Baffled, I looked it up in the Webster's Dictionary, but didn't find it. I checked with The Synonym Finder, but it wasn't listed there either. Finally, I turned to this book and found it in the table of contents. Eschatology is the study of afterlife.This book has been a godsend for me as a creative writer. There were times when I was writing a scene and couldn't think of a word to describe something or a term I couldn't remember. Most of the time, I found what I was looking for in these pages.Word Menu is broken down into four parts. Part One deals with Nature­­The human body, living things, and the earth. Chapter One (The Human Body) is then divided into five subcategories­­Anatomy, Medical Problems, Health/Fitness/Enhancement, Hair and Grooming, Phsyical Appearance. Under these, you will find hundreds of definitions, terms, and cross-references.This dictionary covers everything from everyday items, customs, religions, etc. to the obscure and strange. For example, Eschatology. Word Menu is an indespensible tool for any type of writer, student, or anyone who wants to learn something.