Verbal Advantage: 10 Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary [Paperback]

Charles Harrington Elster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0375709320 | ISBN-13: 978-0375709326 | Edition: 1st

First time in book form! A successful program for teaching 3,500 vocabulary words that successful people need to know, based on America's #1 bestselling audio vocabulary series.

"People judge you by the words you use." Millions of Americans know this phrase from radio and print advertising for the Verbal Advantage audio series, which has sold over 100,000 copies. Now this bestselling information is available for the first time in book form, in an easy-to-follow, graduated vocabulary building program that teaches an outstanding vocabulary in just ten steps.

Unlike other vocabulary books, Verbal Advantage provides a complete learning experience, with clear explanations of meanings, word histories, usages, pronunciation, and more. Far more than a cram session for a standardized test, the book is designed as a lifetime vocabulary builder, teaching a vocabulary shared by only the top percentage of Americans, with a proven method that helps the knowledge last.

A 10-step vocabulary program teaches 500 key words and 3,000 synonyms.
Lively, accessible writing from an expert author and radio personality.  

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

First time in book form! A successful program for teaching 3,500 vocabulary words that successful people need to know, based on America's #1 bestselling audio vocabulary series.

"People judge you by the words you use." Millions of Americans know this phrase from radio and print advertising for the Verbal Advantage audio series, which has sold over 100,000 copies. Now this bestselling information is available for the first time in book form, in an easy-to-follow, graduated vocabulary building program that teaches an outstanding vocabulary in just ten steps.

Unlike other vocabulary books, Verbal Advantage provides a complete learning experience, with clear explanations of meanings, word histories, usages, pronunciation, and more. Far more than a cram session for a standardized test, the book is designed as a lifetime vocabulary builder, teaching a vocabulary shared by only the top percentage of Americans, with a proven method that helps the knowledge last.

A 10-step vocabulary program teaches 500 key words and 3,000 synonyms.
Lively, accessible writing from an expert author and radio personality.  

About the Author

CHARLES HARRINGTON ELSTER is the author of numerous books on language, including the SAT/ACT vocabulary-building novels TOOTH AND NAIL and TEST OF TIME. His latest book is THE ACCIDENTS OF STYLE: Good Advice on How Not to Write Badly. His articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Find out more at charlesharringtonelster.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 459 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference; 1st edition (September 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375709320
• ISBN-13: 978-0375709326
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles Harrington Elster is a writer, broadcaster, and logophile--a lover of words.

He is the author of the popular vocabulary-building program "Verbal Advantage." His other books include "Tooth and Nail" and "Test of Time," vocabulary-building novels for high school students preparing to take the college entrance exams; "There's a Word for It," a lighthearted look at unusual--and unusually useful--words; "What in the Word?" a salmagundi of word lore, wordplay, and advice on usage and pronunciation; and "The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations," now in its second edition, which the late William Safire of The New York Times hailed as "the best survey of the spoken field in years."

Charlie's latest book, "The Accidents of Style: Good Advice on How Not to Write Badly," was published in July 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin. He is currently writing a vocabulary-building companion to "Verbal Advantage" called "Word Workout."

Charlie was a consultant for "Garner's Modern American Usage." He is the pronunciation editor of "Black's Law Dictionary" and The Orthoepist (pronunciation expert) for Wordnik.com, an online dictionary project. He has been a guest contributor to the "On Language" column of The New York Times Magazine, and his articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and other publications.

Charlie has also been talking about language on the radio since 1985. He has been interviewed on NPR's "Talk of the Nation," "Weekend Edition," and "All Things Considered" and been a guest on hundreds of radio shows around the country. For five and a half years he cohosted a weekly public radio talk show on language called "A Way with Words."

Charlie was born in New York City in 1957 and earned his B.A. cum laude from Yale in 1981. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two daughters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prepare for a fun ride through the English dictionary, January 7, 2004

By 

T. C Gerlach "pootiboo" (Altoona, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Verbal Advantage: 10 Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary (Paperback)

This book is an interesting stroll through English vocabulary. It starts you out with words that most adults know, and slowly leads you to the vocabulary of the intellectual elite. Along the way are stops for pronunciation tips, common English pitfalls, advice for increasing your vocabulary, and numerous other tips to help you sound like an educated speaker. This book is a very fun and exciting approach to an otherwise boring subject.

I often heard many of the words in this book used on TV or radio, and didn't really know what they meant. Now I know what they mean, not what I think they might mean because of the way they are being used. This book is simply amazing.

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's actually fun, May 17, 2001

By 

Robert Potter (Lansing, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Verbal Advantage: 10 Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary (Paperback)

After browsing through many vocabulary-building books, I decided to get this one simply because it seemed to have lots of information besides just plain old definitions and examples of usage. And, like the previous reviews have said, it's actually very interesting and enjoyable to read. I tend to have a short attention span when reading non-fiction sometimes, so I find it strange to be getting lost in this material. I can feel my brain working! It reveals many misconceptions, mispronunciations, and improper applications of lots of words -- some of them "difficult," and others simply things I thought I knew but didn't. The review tests and the arrangement of words into levels of difficulty allow for a very natural sense of development throughout the book.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure to read, January 18, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Verbal Advantage: 10 Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary (Paperback)

You wouldn't think that a book designed to improve one's vocabulary would be a pleasure to read, but this one is. I bought the book because I have often considered ordering the (very expensive) audio program I always seem to see in airline magazines, but have never had the extra cash to spend on it. With it's levels, lists, and review tests, you'd think this book would be as boring as a high school vocab textbook, but it's not at all! Not only does he teach you new words (with precise, accurate definitions), but he throws in interesting tidbits on word history, correct but seldom used pronunciations, and some great anecdotes. I look forward to reading this book every time I open it.