Customer Reviews

Ultimate Visual Dictionary 2001

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the most detailed visual dictionary that I've seen. If you're a well educated adult in the English language, perhaps a writer, and you're trying to choose between The Firefly Visual Dictionary, The MacMillan Visual Dictionary, The Scholastic Visual Dictionary, even the old What's What dictionary (which I think got the craze started), and DK's "Ultimate Visual Dictionary" - this book is absolutely your choice. As an alternative you can choose one of DK's "Eyewitness" Visual Dictionaries--these are sections from the Ultimate Visual Dictionary sold separately. Don't make the mistake of buying both unless there's a reason you want duplication. You CAN, however, get both this book and DK's "Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science" which is a highly expanded version of the more generalized science sections of this book.

Old habits are hard to break. It's possible, though, that the "Ultimate Visual Dictionary" will cure you of yelling to anyone within hearing distance, "Do you remember what those little petals that sit on the top of a strawberry are called?" but I can tell you that when no one in the house comes running to your aid, you will be really glad to have this reference sitting right on your desk.
Libraries are nice. Heavens, the NET is even nice. But nothing can surpass a good, well-worn reference that you come to know intimately, know its strengths and its weaknesses.
The pictures in this book are colorful, clear and not so cute they're annoying; it is divided into sensible categories like "The Universe," "Prehistoric Earth," and "The Human Body." There is a concise index and an appendix of useful data like mathematical symbols and the ever-confounding metric conversions.
Now, sometimes you will need the name for something like the hole in the face of a guitar. You are praying there is a term that alliterates with the adjective you have already chosen to describe it. You rush to the wonderful book (after getting blank stares from anyone you ask about it first, of course), find the section for "music," and are disappointed to find that it is called a "sound hole." It's not a poetic term. It doesn't have any potential for a lyrical metaphor. Still, that's not the fault of the book, is it? At least you'll know that you are on your own for coming up with a term that is kinder to the ear or that, if you settle for "sound hole," there is nothing more accurate available.
Check out the page for "Books." You'll find wonderful terms about your own craft that you've forgotten or never knew--like "mull," "buckram corner piece," and "tail."

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"

This book takes everyday objects (and some historical objects as well), and makes them tremendously exciting by truly demonstrating how form follows function. The graphics are outstanding, and the attention to detail is unsurpassed by any text of its type of which I am familiar. The Ultimate Visual Dictionary 2000 is outstanding as a reference text for educators and students alike: I wish I had access to such a book when I was in school!

Reviewed By Carolyn Howard-Johnson,
Author of "This is the Place"

Even with the best of references old habits are hard to break.

I can't promise that the "Ultimate Visual Dictionary" published by DK Publishing, Inc., New York, will cure you of yelling to anyone within hearing distance, "Do you remember what those little petals that sit on the top of a strawberry are called?" but I can tell you that when no one in the house comes running to your aid, you will be really glad to have this reference sitting on your desk.

Libraries are nice. Heavens, the NET is even nice. But nothing can surpass a good, well-worn reference that you come to know intimately, know its strengths and its weaknesses.

The pictures are colorful, clear and not so cute they're annoying; it is divided into sensible categories like "The Universe," "Prehistoric Earth," and "The Human Body." There is a concise index and an appendix of useful data like mathematical symbols and the ever-confounding metric conversions.

Sometimes you will need the name for something like the hole in the face of a guitar. You are praying there is a term that alliterates with the adjective you have already chosen to describe it. You rush to the wonderful book (after getting blank stares from anyone you ask about it first, of course), find the section for "music," and are disappointed to find that it is called a "sound hole." It's not a poetic term. It doesn't have any potential for a lyrical metaphor. Still, that's not the fault of the book, is it? At least you'll know that you are on your own for coming up with a term that is kinder to the ear or that, if you settle for "sound hole," there is nothing more accurate available.

Check out the page for "Books." You'll find wonderful terms about the craft you love that you've forgotten or never knew--like "mull," "buckram corner piece," and "tail."

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a freelance writer. She is a columnist for the Pasadena Star News, a
contributing editor for Home Décor Buyer and does occasional movie reviews for the
Glendale News-Press. Her award-winning novel, "This Is The Place," is set in Utah in the 1950s and is
about love, prejudice, and redemption and is available on Amazon.com (-: )

When I received the book I could not believe how small the book was. They simply shrank the regular book to almost half the size of the regular one. The fonts for the book is so small that you have bring it very close to your face in order to read it. I will return and buy a regular size book next time.

Actually when i saw this book at Amazon.com i realize immediately that this book is worth for the money, and it is! Starting with a fabulous outlook of current breakthroughs in computers, medicine and all other aspect of life to the information that we need in everyday life, eventually a book of reference with tremendous information comprising some outrageous graphics, Overall its a book thats got a lot in it!

I bought the paperback version of this excellent reference book after having looked at the hardcover version in the library. I was blown away by the beautiful illustrations and photos and the tremendous amount of information included. Each page has dozens of details, definitions, terms, etc., accompanied by paragraph or so descriptive overview of the topic and lovely, clear, illuminating illustrations and photos.

The only disappointing thing about this paperback edition is that it is shunk down in size compared to the hard-cover. Each page of the paperback version is about 61/2" x 51/4"- the hardcover has much larger pages (8" x 10" or thereabouts). I didn't realize this when I purchased my copy. The effect of shrinking each page so drastically is that each very detailed illustration, diagram or photo is much more crowded and a little eyestrain is involved in looking at them. You may want to consider springing for the higher-priced hardcover for this reason.

That quibble aside, however, this is an excellent and entertaining book to have around the house to look stuff up in (as I had to do when I finally read Moby Dick recently) or just to poke around randomly in. My 5 year old son absolutely loves this book (he's a bit of a techboy) and has obsessively perused its pages for a year now without getting tired of it. In fact, he's looked at it so much that the binding has broken - another reason you may want to consider the hardcover version.

This book is AMAZING. My co-worker, an art designer, pointed it out to me at work and I was blown away. It has EVERYTHING (surprisingly it really does) as a quick detailed visual reference. Even so far as comparing different styles of buildings and cars. Another of my co-workers snatched it up right away. He keeps it by his desk at work. I'm looking forward to getting my own copy.

The paperback version of this book is about 6 inches by 5 inches, and at least 2" thick. Very cool. Great resource for kids who enjoy knowing how things work and what things are called. (not to mention the adults who have to live with them.)

I'm using this book as a reference for my fiction writing, to find more precise terms that cannot be found easily in a dictionary or encyclopedia. The detail, colorful drawings, and manageable size makes it a handy desk guide. Though you won't find everything you'll ever need in this beautifully illustrated book, it will likely lead you to discover some ideas you've never considered. I think for the price, which is very reasonable, it's worth the tradeoff.