Customer Reviews

Words and Ideas

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This interactive book brings the enhanced vocabulary from studying Greek or Latin to everyone. Having taken Latin throughout high school, I find myself frequently using that Latin vocabulary to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar English words. From passing entrance exams to reading literature, knowing word roots is infinitely useful.

Words & Ideas builds vocabulary by explaining Latin and Greek roots of words in the context that they are used. First, the book teaches readers to identify roots, with derivatives, charts to fill in, and even clever comic strips. Later, the roots are grouped into sections such as "medicine," "commerce and economics," and "history," not only defining the roots, but also providing historical background and humorous anecdotes, along with websites that have more information. I heartily applaud the organization of this book-having the roots grouped by context, rather than alphabetically or randomly. This way, they are taught just how they will later be seen, in related sets. Moreover, the glimpses into Roman and Greek culture encourage readers not only to recognize and define the roots of words, but also to put these terms in better context. This is an innovative approach to vocabulary building, introducing roots in related groups.

I used this book for my classics class at UC Riverside. It was very helpful and all the info in this book helped me achieve a high grade. I will be starting Latin in the Fall. I know this book helped me prepare for the Latin series.