Customer Reviews

Visual Dictionary (Facts on File)

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This is a wonderful book that, instead of using words to describe terms, uses pictures to allow you to see what the various parts of things are called. The book is very well organized, starting with Astronomy and ending with Symbols. Within each category (or subcategory) you can find a line drawing of what you need to know about, then look at the labels and understand the parts.

One of the things I find truly amazing about this book is that it illustrates how precise a vocabulary each "thing" has. Flipping to a page at random, I end up on page 233, which is within the House Furniture category. There are three illustrations on this page: a steam iron, a can opener, and a kettle. The steam iron has no fewer than seventeen parts labeled. They are: steam button, thumb rest, slide selector, temperature dial, spray, fill opening, front tip, button notch, shell, soleplate, heel rest, sight-glass tube, fabric guide, cord, vertical cord life, handle, and spray button. Whew!

For people who need to know the exact word for some part of a physical thing, this is a terrific book. And if you just like to browse and learn, this is a terrific book.

GREAT BOOK !!! I have had this book for many years and have had Many occassions to bring it out. Now my grandchildren are of an age that they like to see "exactly" what I am trying to describe, etc. This will help my daughter in another State to fill in for Grandma and her descriptions. Thanks for a great book. AWL

I have had this title for more than 15 years and still find occassions to thank it for being there on my bookshelf.

If you love line drawings, you will love this book. The sketches are neat and detailed. The feel of the book is that of a classic work. In some sections (such as household items, clothing) it is way superior to other works sch as DK's "Ultimate Visual Dictionary".

What it lacks is coverage of articles that have come into existence after 1985. That might sound a huge miss but it is not actually so. I believe you need to pair this book with a more recent visual dictionary.

But there is nothing that can replace this book. The three indexes at the back (general, thematic and specialised) make looking up a word or drawing very easy.

If you are someone who must know the exact word, then you must have this title on your bookshelf.

This book is great for those times when you need to describe something to someone and you just don't have the vocabulary to do it. In a matter of seconds, find the piece of equipment, etc. that you are looking for and then you know what all the parts are called. It's like having a whole new vocabulary and hundreds of diagrams.