A true compendium of recent scholarship, the volume includes 115 articles covering all aspects of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the twelve "minor prophets" and Daniel. Each book's historical, cultural, religious and literary background is thoroughly covered, alongside articles on interpretation history and critical method. Pastors, scholars and students will find this a deep resource for their Old Testament studies.

    Readers will discover why William Shakespeare may be hiding in the Old Testament; why "run" is the longest word in English; how people's names become common words; and how the Bible, mythology, the sea, the land, show business, and games spark words and phrases in everyday vocabulary. Chock-full of transfixing word histories, magical letter play, and hilarious puns, Amazing Words is an essential book for wordaholics, logolepts, and verbivores.

    Lists of delete-worthy words are provided, enabling any writer to avoid them in advance and prevent their prose from becoming clumsy, amateurish, and unclear. “Lean” techniques are offered that can be directly applied to nonfiction, journalistic copy, screenwriting, and many other disciplines. Highly instructive yet easy to follow, this is a direct and immediately accessible how-to that illustrates the importance of pruning each sentence before the final draft.