L. Mencken's book about the English language as spoken in the United States. Mencken was inspired by "the argot of the colored waiters" in Washington, as well as one of his favorite authors, Mark Twain, and his experiences on the streets of Baltimore. In 1902, Mencken remarked on the "queer words which go into the making of 'United States.'" The book was preceded by several columns in The Evening Sun. Mencken eventually asked "Why doesn't some painstaking pundit attempt a grammar of the American language... English, that is, as spoken by the great masses of the plain people of this fair land?" It would appear that he answered his own question. In the tradition of Noah Webster, who wrote the first American dictionary, Mencken wanted to defend "Americanisms" against a steady stream of English critics, who usually isolated Americanisms as borderline barbarous perversions of the mother tongue. Mencken assaulted the prescriptive grammar of these critics and American "schoolmarms", arguing, like Samuel Johnson in the preface to his dictionary, that language evolves independently of textbooks. The book discusses the beginnings of "American" variations from "English", the spread of these variations, American names and slang over the course of its 374 pages. According to Mencken, American English was more colorful, vivid, and creative than its British counterpart. The book sold exceptionally well by Mencken's standards-1400 copies in the first two months. Reviews of the book praised it lavishly, with the exception of one by Mencken's old nemesis, Stuart Sherman. source: Wikipedia

    Chapters cover cancer, infection, immune disorders, genetics, and disorders of each body system, highlighting pathophysiologic processes, resulting signs and symptoms, diagnostic test findings, and current treatments. Reader-friendly features include illustrations, checklists, and full-color miniguides illustrating the pathophysiology of specific disorders.This edition has new full-color miniguides on cancer pathophysiology and neuropathology. A new Focus on Genetics feature identifies gene-related discoveries and their implications for treatment or diagnosis. Review questions and answers follow current NCLEX-RN® requirements and alternate-format questions are included.

    A supplemental reference provides an offbeat source of unusual, obscure, and very legitimate English language terms, clearly and whimsically defined for the benefit of those needing "just the right word."

    The second section contains the grand master's ruminations on the SF genre itself. And the final section is comprised of Asimov's thoughts on the craft and writing of science fiction.

    Helpful and full of creative inspiration, this #1 bestseller gives you all the best ways to find your favorites and decide on the perfect fit. The Most Names, Most Lists, Most Help to Find the Best Name: More Names AND Richer Definitions The Most (600+) Creative Lists to Inspire You The Most Idea-Sparking Celebrity Baby Names The Most Popular-and Unique-Names The Newest Trends, Including What Makes the Perfect Name More than 600 Fun Lists to Help You Choose, Including: Intellectual, creative names from literature and the arts Strong, respected names from sports and politics Unique, under-the-radar names that hit the right notesPacked full of more than 100,001 baby names with origins, variations, and richer definitions, The Complete Book of Baby Names makes choosing your baby's name a joyful act of love. Everything You Need ... The most up-to-date list of popular names - plus top twin names Selecting sibling names that make sense for your family Great gender-neutral names - plus the top 61 names Adding a middle name - or two 18 essentials in choosing the perfect name... And what not to name your baby All the top baby boy and baby girl names Plus all the best variations and nicknamesAll You Need in One Complete Book MORE PRAISE FOR THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BABY NAMES:"The Complete Book of Baby Names is a great resource if you are naming a baby, and, it's also an interesting read. Busy Girl has been using it to inform all her friends what their names mean.Most importantly, though, it covers what NOT to name your baby. I'll let you check that one out yourself." BusyMom.net"Since this is my third child, I've been through my share of baby name books, about 2 a pregnancy. This one I found as my favorite, not just the first few chapters but the list of names are wonderful and broken not just into boy and girl categories but lists of popular names by country, twin names and hordes of other lists. You'll be amazed, as I was." snowboundintheyukon.blogspot.com"If you're going to choose one baby name book and get the most bang for your buck, this is a good one to go with. It's more complete and helpful than any other single book I've seen out there and short of turning it into an OED-style multi-volume set, I'm not sure there's much more the author Lesley Bolton could pack in." daringyoungmom.com"The Complete Book of Baby Names is so fun too. It isn't just a list of names - it is like a course in baby-naming With chapters on baby-naming history, naming trends, the attributes of a perfect name, middles names, etc. as well as 276 fun name lists like popular names in different countries, and bizarre lists such as the names of models, First Ladies, Reality TV Stars and more, this book could keep me going until I deliver " 5minutesformom.com"We've seen a lot of baby name books in our time, some good, and some not so good. This one's a good one...It has the big list, so that you can look up the definitions of the names that you're considering. But, it also teaches you how to pick a really great name for your little bundle of joy... So, if you just want definitions, this book's got those. If you just don't know what name you want, or if you're scared of choosing the wrong name, this book can help." thefamilylog.com

    The book is useful to writers, at every stage of their career.

    This short, free guide breaks down what an author platform is, exactly, and what it should contain—and what you can safely skip, so you can focus on writing more books. Authors are told to “build a platform,” or “get their name out there”—advice which is vague as it is useless. Following will show you precisely how to build your author platform, walking you through every step involved so that you can build a real platform, a proper, sustainable readership, and build a career as a writer.

    There is a kind of religion that is lifeless and is the bitter enemy of true faith. Think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s prophetic attempts to waken the sleeping German church, often unwitting allies of Hitler and the Third Reich. Or of William Wilberforce’s heroic efforts to rouse his complacent “Christian” countrymen to stand against the monstrous evil of the slave trade. Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce stood against the evil of their times—an evil often repackaged in religious-sounding language.Eric Metaxas’s electrifying message—delivered before the president and dozens of national leaders at the Sixtieth Annual National Prayer Breakfast—calls readers to follow in the steps of Wilberforce and Bonhoeffer, men who lived their faith and swam against the mainstream, instead of drifting along with it. Metaxas makes it clear that phony religiosity offends God himself—and that real prayer is only possible with a living faith in a living God. And that kind of faith can transform the world. No pressure.

    Normally, the learner must memorize numerous compounds as unrelated units. A unique feature of this dictionary that overcomes this difficulty is the core meaning, a concise keyword that defines the dominant sense of each character, followed by detailed character meanings and numerous compounds that clearly show how thousands of building blocks are combined to form countless compound words.Another unique feature is the System of Kanji Indexing by Patterns (SKIP), an indexing system that enables the user to locate characters as quickly and as accurately as in alphabetical dictionaries.Modern linguistic theory has been effectively integrated with sophisticated information technology to produce the most useful kanji learner's dictionary ever compiled. For the first time, learners have at their fingertips a wealth of information that is linguistically accurate, easy to use, and carefully adapted to their practical needs.FEATURESo 2,230 entry characters, including all the kanji in the Joyo and Jinmei Kanji listso 41,000 senses for 31,300 words and word elements show how each character contributes to the meanings of compounds o 1,200 homophones with core meanings explain differences between closely related characters o 386 variant forms used in prewar literature and in names o 1,945 stroke order diagrams show you how to write each kanji stroke by stroke o 7,200 character readings, including name readings o Over 2,000 cross-references and five appendixes give instant access to a mass of useful reference data

    With engaging literary and everyday examples, inspirational prompts, and unforgettable insights, this course is the perfect reference guide for both professional and casual writers.Survey the ways five major literary genres-fiction, essay, poetry, drama, and autobiography-can show you the path to stronger persuasive and critical writing. Writing prompts and practice examples will help you better understand how to apply the insights you'll uncover by studying each genre. See how the art of rhetoric can help you adapt your writing to different situations. The increased awareness of classical rhetoric you gain will go a long way toward making you a stronger writer by calling your attention to the basics of compelling analytical writing. Take a step-by-step look at the four major stages of the writing process-researching, writing a first draft, editing, and rewriting.Chock full of useful strategies and real-world examples, this course is an invaluable tool for developing your effective writing skills so you can better express yourself to others.Listening Length: 12 hours and 7 minutes

    This edition has been revised and edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    "They aren't laws. They're an array of choices, things to try, once you've put a name to the particular problem you're facing now."That's what this book is about: identifying those choices (whose viewpoint? stop and explain now, or wait? how can this lead to that?), then learning what narrative problems they are apt to create and how to choose an effective strategy for solving them. The result? Strong, solid stories and novels that move.Inside you'll discover how to:test a story idea (using four simple questions) to see if it worksconvince your reader that not only is something happening, but that something's going to happen and it all matters intenselyhandle viewpoint shifts, flashbacks, and other radical jumps in your storyline weave plots with subplotsget ready for and write your Big Scenesbalance scene and summary narration to produce good pacinghandle the extremes of melodrama by "faking out" your readers--making them watch your right hand while your left hand is doing something sneakyform subtle patterns with mirror characters and echoing incidentschoose the best type of ending--linear or circular, happy or downbeat, or (with caution!) a trick endingWhether your fiction is short or long, subtle or direct, you'll learn to build strong plots that drive compelling, unforgettable stories your readers will love.

    Nancy Pearl comes to the rescue with this wide-ranging and fun guide to the best reading new and old. Pearl, who inspired legions of litterateurs with What If All (name the city) Read the Same Book, has devised reading lists that cater to every mood, occasion, and personality. These annotated lists cover such topics as mother-daughter relationships, science for nonscientists, mysteries of all stripes, African-American fiction from a female point of view, must-reads for kids, books on bicycling, chick-lit, and many more. Pearl's enthusiasm and taste shine throughout.

    The dictionary provides wide-ranging and lively coverage of not only Western philosophical traditions, but also themes from Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy. This clear and easy to use reference also contains in-depth analysis of philosophical terms and concepts, and a chronology of philosophical events stretching from 10,000 BC to the present day.