1000 Most Important Words (Mass Market Paperback)

by Norman W. Schur (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Based on the contention that we do not utillize speech to its fullest extent, this guide is an essential aide to unlocking our "passive" vocabularies and developing a keener appreciation of the richness of language.

Indispensable For Writers, Speakers, Teachers!
-- Enrich your vocabulary
-- Express yourself clearly -- and beautifully
-- Fun and easy to use!

From the Inside Flap
Based on the contention that we do not utillize speech to its fullest extent, this guide is an essential aide to unlocking our "passive" vocabularies and developing a keener appreciation of the richness of language.

Indispensable For Writers, Speakers, Teachers!
-- Enrich your vocabulary
-- Express yourself clearly -- and beautifully
-- Fun and easy to use!

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 12, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345298632
• ISBN-13: 978-0345298638
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,565 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Reference > Words & Language > Alphabet
  #7 in	Books > Reference > Words & Language > Usage
  #39 in	Books > Reference > Words & Language > Vocabulary

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

145 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Would you believe an entertaining dictionary?, January 19, 2003

By	Kendal B. Hunter (Provo, UT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Mr. Schur has a gift for glibly describing the essence and etymology of obscure words. He's my favorite philologist!

This book is his first of the four "1000 Words Series." Basically, each book is a mini-dictionary targeting the weirdest and odd words. He provides the word, and pronunciation, then a brief entry explaining the etymology and use of each word. His pen shines and his tongue is blarney. I am impressed that any human being could make a dictionary entry so lively!

A freebie:

Exacerbate: (ig zas' er bate) vb. To exacerbate a situation is to worsen it, to aggravate it, in the sense of increasing its bitterness. A clumsy nurse's ministrations serve only to exacerbate the pain of the patient. Harsh words can only exacerbate bitter feelings. Inept handling exacerbates any situation. The -acerb- part of the word is found also in acerbic. We get exacerbate from Latin exacerbates, a form of exacebare (to exacerbate, embitter).

You can click on the "Look Inside" function to see other samples. I wish my Webster's had this spunk and vigor.

This book is for the English major or grad student, copy editors, or the public speaker. This book also works for your snob-ling friends, your eccentric associates who are into Crispin Glover, or for someone that is hard to shop for. Cruxverbalists will certainly underline and dog-ear this book.

The only drawback to this book is that it relies heavily on Greco-Latin words. This violates "Strunk and White's" Reminder #14: Avoid Fancy words. They assert: "Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able. Anglo-Saxon is a livelier tongue than Latin, so use Anglo-Saxon words." Therefore, this book is great for personal edification, and the soul who loves to connect root words with their branch meanings.

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enhanced my "functional" vocabulary, March 30, 2002

By	A. Agarwal (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I originally learned English is a non-native environment, and always struggled with the low correlation between spelling and the "non-intutive" pronunciations, and other exceptions in English. Many of these words were difficult to pronounce [correctly, for me] and, therefore, my functional vocabulary was much less than its passive counterpart. Sometimes I didn't use these words for the fear of missing - either the pronunciation, or the context, nuances etc. I have used several vocabulary books in the past, but this is the only one which had 90%+ words that are very "usable" and will truly enrich my speech. I have a much better "feel" for these 1000, and many of them will soon be part of my written and spoken language. The phonetic transcription presented with the words was also of great value (the key to my "active" vocabulary). The best $[money] I have ever spent on a word book.

Speech, language, and communication is what makes us effective (and human too!), and I am glad to have read this.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, July 24, 2002

By	Chris Salzer (Gainesville, GA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Just like the cover says, "For anyone and everyone who has something the say!"

Listed in alphabetical order, it's great to use as resource when reading a work of classical literature, writing a paper, or of course to enrich your vacab. From abashed(disconcerted) to zealot(fanatic), Schur provides definitions, synonms, roots, and plenty of examples so that even an obtuse(slow-witted, thick--headed) philistine(one who not only lacks culture and is smugly indifferent to it, but tends to attack it) can learn copious amounts of new words, establish a penchant for being articulate, and perhaps, if he's lucky, even acquire a prodigious amount of savoir-faire like moi.