A Writer's Companion : A Handy Compendium of Useful but Hard-To-Find Information on History, Literature, Art, Science, Travel, Philosophy and Much More (Paperback)

by Louis D. Rubin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
For years the personal reference shelf has remained fairly static: the dictionary and thesaurus, the atlas and almanac. But Louis Rubin's A Writer's Companion fills perfectly the niche of his own creation; it is a compilation of eclectic and elusive information on everything a writer, editor, teacher, or data-dabbler might want within arm's reach. Dedicated to Charles Dillon Stengel's maxim "You could look it up," Rubin's gift to the reference community features 66 lists and glossaries ranging from travel and transportation to history and politics, architecture and art to religion, literature, and television, plus sports, gastronomy, law, psychoanalysis, and the natural world.

From Library Journal
For this companion, Rubin?editor, distinguished scholar, and, most recently, novelist (The Heat of the Sun, LJ 9/1/95)?excluded information found easily in the World Almanac and Roget's but otherwise included miscellaneous information that he and some 55 other writers thought would be helpful and browsable. Their assemblage of information, meant to be "of particular use to writers and editors," has 19 sections (e.g., "Sports," "The Animal Kingdom") divided into 66 subsections (e.g., "Pennant Contenders," "The Pro Quarterbacks"). Like many companions, the book includes unique lists and is fun to browse. However, its content is not as interesting or as useful as that of such books as The People's Almanac or the Book of Lists. This offering would be more useful in the home or office than the library.?Peter Dollard, Alma Coll. Lib., Mich.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 1008 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (January 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062734725
• ISBN-13: 978-0062734723
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,416,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for Jeopardy fans & other curious people, April 27, 1998

By A Customer

*A Writer's Companion* works well as a starting point for researching subjects and an ending point for settling arguements. A gift from Rubin to writers, reseachers, teachers and editors, this book keeps true to its name and provides page after page of names, dates and other information you only thought you'd never need to know. The lists are extensive and the subjects are very logically organized. The list of inventions and their dates of conception is a goldmine! *AWC* is a welcome partner to any almanac and a solid investment for anyone who wants a more comprehsive reference (home) library.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It worked great for my academic team!!!, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Writer's Companion (Hardcover)

My whole team academic team studied from this book. It is quick and easy to learn a thourough description for a wide subject. We used it and won the State Championship this year.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Writers Resource, October 3, 2000

By	Dan Poynter "Author-Publisher-Speaker" (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews

When you write, you commit history. Others will read your Work in their research and may even quote you. Putting ink on paper is too easy; taking it off is very expensive. You must be correct with your facts, definitions and references.

And, of course, background detail makes your writing more valuable and interesting.

Whether you are researching the names of native American tribes, legal terms, sports, movies, religious calendars, architectural terms, famous hotels or just about anything else, this book will be your constant reference.

As the author of 113 books (including revisions and foreign-language editions) and over 500 magazine articles, I highly recommend this book to writers everywhere. [e-mail].