A Dictionary of Symbols


Juan Eduardo Cirlot - 1958
    At every stage of civilization, people have relied on symbolic expression, and advances in science and technology have only increased our dependence on symbols. The language of symbols is considered a science, and this informative volume offers an indispensable tool in the study of symbology. It can be used as a reference or simply browsed for pleasure. Many of its entries — those on architecture, mandala, numbers, serpent, water, and zodiac, for example — can be read as independent essays. The vitality of symbology has never been greater: An essential part of the ancient arts of the Orient and of the Western medieval traditions, symbolism underwent a 20th-century revival with the study of the unconscious, both directly in the field of dreams, visions, and psychoanalysis, and indirectly in art and poetry. A wide audience awaits the assistance of this dictionary in elucidating the symbolic worlds encountered in both the arts and the history of ideas.

Simple and Direct: A Rhetoric for Writers


Jacques Barzun - 1975
    His discussions of diction, syntax, tone, meaning, composition, and revision guide the reader through the technique of making the written word clear and agreeable to read. Exercises, model passages both literary and casual, and hundreds of amusing examples of usage gone wrong show how to choose the right path to self-expression in forceful and distinctive words.

Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar


Annie Heminway - 2007
    From present tense of regular verbs to direct object pronouns, this comprehensive guide and workbook covers all aspects of French grammar that you need to master. Focusing on the practical aspects of French as it's really spoken, each unit of Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar features clear explanations, numerous realistic examples, and dozens of engaging exercises. Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar makes mastering grammar easy with: Clear, down-to-earth, easy-to-follow explanations that make even the most complex principles easy to understand Example sentences that illustrate and clarify each grammatical point Dozens of exercises in formats suited to every learning style Practical and high-frequency vocabulary used throughout A detailed answer key for quick, easy progress checks With help from this book, you can effortlessly use: * Verbs ending in -oir * Infinitives * Relative pronouns * Gerunds * Pronominal verbs * Passé Composé * Expressions of time * Passive voice

The Writer's Art


James J. Kilpatrick - 1984
    Kilpatrick, "good, better, and best." With the experience of a lifetime of writing, he tells us, he wants to make a few judgment calls. And Jack Kilpatrick, master of the art, is as good as his word. In the tradition of Theodore Bernstein, Edwin Newman, and William Safire, James J. Kilpatrick gives us a finely crafted, witty guide to writing well. Written for laymen and professionals alike, The Writer's Art highlights techniques and examples of good writing. A section of the book called "My Crotchets and Your Crotchets" comprises more than 200 personal judgment calls, often controversial, often funny, on word usage.

Editing Made Easy: Simple Rules for Effective Writing


Bruce Kaplan - 2001
    Because of the different spellings and conventions of American English, it has been unavailable here--until now. The new book is thoroughly revised, updated, expanded, and Americanized. It maintains the attractions of the original--friendly, easy-to-understand rules for improved writing. It's a quick read, and an easy reference for anybody who wants to communicate clearly with American English. The book is non-technical in its approach. It doesn't cover grammatical terms such as present perfect progressive or correlative conjunctions. It boils grammar and style into a few simple rules that will serve you well whether you are a journalist, a student, a novelist, a business executive, a blogger, or anybody else who would like to make effective use of written language.

Remember The Alamo?: American History In Bite Sized Chunks


Alison Rattle - 2009
    . . from Plymouth Rock to Pearl Harbor-the history of America in bite-size chunks How did the conquistadors first stumble across America-and what were the Spanish looking for anyway? What was the Dred Scott Supreme Court case and how did it affect the Civil War? And while some of us may indeed remember the Alamo, why were we once urged to "Remember the Maine"? Here, in chronological order, is a rollicking tour of American history from Columbus's arrival through Nixon's resignation, including details about the early colonists, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War-from Southern secession to the surrender at Appomattox-and the nation's plunge into World War I and the end of U.S. isolationism. It's the perfect refresher for all the things we learned in school but may have forgotten since. In concise, highly readable chapters, Remember the Alamo!""tells the most exciting story in the world: the story of America-home of Ben Franklin and Al Capone, Abe Lincoln and Rosa Parks, a nation with a passion and a gift for making history to this day.

Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations


George W. Powers - 1901
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

German Quickly: A Grammar for Reading German


April Wilson - 1993
    It teaches the fundamentals for reading German literary and scholarly texts of all levels of difficulty.  It can be used as an introductory text for scholars with no background in German, or it can serve as a reference text for students wishing to review German.  The grammar explanations are detailed and clear, addressing common problems students encounter while learning to read German.  The book includes thought-provoking and entertaining reading selections, consisting mainly of aphorisms and proverbs.  There are also 12 appendices, including a summary of German grammar, a partial answer key, strategies for learning German, and an extensive humanities vocabulary.  April Wilson has been offering German reading courses to graduate students in the University of Chicago community since 1972.  Her courses have an excellent reputation for providing students with the essentials of German grammar, quickly.

Accidence Will Happen: A Recovering Pedant's Guide to English Language and Style


Oliver Kamm - 2015
    Yet, as Oliver Kamm cleverly demonstrates in this new book, many of the purists' prohibitions are bogus and can be cheerfully disregarded. Accidence Will Happen is an authoritative and deeply reassuring guide to grammar, style, and the linguistic conundrums we all face.

Random House Webster's American Sign Language Dictionary


Elaine Costello - 1994
    It includes complete descriptions of each sign, plus full-torso illustrations. There is also a subject index for easy reference as well as alternate signs for the same meaning.

German for Dummies [With CD]


Paulina Christensen - 2000
    Whether you're taking a trip to Germany or just want to surprise your German neighbor with a "hi-how-are-you," learning this language will help you see the world and yourself from an entirely different perspective."German For Dummies" uses the renowned Berlitz approach to get you up and running with the language - and having fun too Designed for the total beginner, this guide - with dialogue and pronunciation audio CD included - will introduce you to basic grammar, then speedily have you talking about: Dining outShoppingThe officePlanning a tripRecreationPartyingTrains, planes, and automobilesIn addition to the audio conversations, fun and games sections ease your way into German fluency, while phonetic spellings following expressions and vocabulary improve your pronunciation, and helpful boxes and sidebars cover cultural quirks and factoids. And, in trademark "For Dummies" fashion, you'll go beyond expressions for checking train schedules or buying potatoes to learn: Things never to say in GermanWays to pick up German quicklyPhrases that make you sound GermanHolidays to rememberEmailing and Internet vocabularyGerman TV and movie vocabularyHow to browse and window-shop in Germany with styleWhether you're just looking for a greeting besides "Guten tag," or you want to host a foreign exchange student, or want to become one yourself, "German For Dummies" gives you what you need to learn the language - as much as you like, as fast as you like. Gehen wir (gehn veer) (Let's get going )

Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words


John Bemelmans Marciano - 2009
    Eponymous, adj. Giving one's name to a person, place, or thing.Anonymous, adj. Anonymous.Anonyponymous, adj. Anonymous and eponymous.The Earl of Sandwich, fond of salted beef and paired slices of toast, found a novel way to eat them all together. Etienne de Silhouette, a former French finance minister, was so notoriously cheap that his name became a byword for chintzy practices—such as substituting a darkened outline for a proper painted portrait. Both bequeathed their names to the language, but neither man is remembered.In this clever and funny book, John Bemelmans Marciano illuminates the lives of these anonyponymous persons. A kind of encyclopedia of linguistic biographies, the book is arranged alphabetically, giving the stories of everyone from Abu "algorithm" Al-Khwarizmi to Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. Along with them you'll find the likes of Harry Shrapnel, Joseph-Ignace Guillotine, and many other people whose vernacular legacies have long outlived their memory.Accented by amusing line portraits and short etymological essays on subjects like "superhero eponyms," Anonyponymous is both a compendium of trivia and a window into the fascinating world of etymology. Carefully curated and unfailingly witty, this book is both a fantastic gift for language lovers and a true pleasure to read.

Filthy English: The How, Why, When and What of Everyday Swearing


Peter Silverton - 2009
    This book considers how we have become more openly emotional, yet more wary about insulting others.

Advanced Language Construction


Mark Rosenfelder - 2012
    or just learn more about how languages work with the same accurate yet fun approach as the original LCK.

The Practical Distiller An Introduction To Making Whiskey, Gin, Brandy, Spirits, &c. &c. of Better Quality, and in Larger Quantities, than Produced by ... from the Produce of the United States


Samuel McHarry - 2008
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.