Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Novelty, Esoteric Reference, And Numbing Read
Review: A big huzzah to the courage of Random House for publishing this crass, uncouth, vulgar, disgusting, arguably sexist, yet interesting and entertaining little book. More than anything it's a novelty, a fun thing to keep on your shelf, lend to a buddy, and from which to draw the perfect quote or phrase for your next dinner party with the Royal Family. This being said, one has to recognize the impressive research and work done by editor Scheidlower; it is comprehensive.Prospective readers need to keep in mind that this is a dictionary, and as such is structured exactly like any other dictionary, with all of the standard formatting and notation. This makes reading this book slow and jerky, ultimately affecting overall enjoyment. Interesting and useful within the individual entries are chronological notations, providing historical information on the origins and evolution of your favorite f-----g phrases. The foreword by Roy Blount, Jr. provides the book a touch of literati legitimacy, but is ultimately rambling and unfocused. Sure, it's interesting, but he's not saying anything we don't already know. The book concludes with a far too brief "Guide To The F-Word In Some Other Languages." Inspired concept, extremely poor execution. No, we don't need hundreds of pages exploring f--k in other languages, but if you're going to provide this little goodie, go the extra mile and complete the work. Yeah, German, French, Spanish, Latin, even Esperanto, Hebrew, and Basque are listed, but where are Sicilian, Corsican, Boer, Swahili, etc.? I've just gotta know!
Rating:
Summary: An Interesting Novelty, Esoteric Reference, And Numbing Read
Review: A big huzzah to the courage of Random House for publishing this crass, uncouth, vulgar, disgusting, arguably sexist, yet interesting and entertaining little book. More than anything it's a novelty, a fun thing to keep on your shelf, lend to a buddy, and from which to draw the perfect quote or phrase for your next dinner party with the Royal Family. This being said, one has to recognize the impressive research and work done by editor Scheidlower; it is comprehensive. Prospective readers need to keep in mind that this is a dictionary, and as such is structured exactly like any other dictionary, with all of the standard formatting and notation. This makes reading this book slow and jerky, ultimately affecting overall enjoyment. Interesting and useful within the individual entries are chronological notations, providing historical information on the origins and evolution of your favorite f-----g phrases. The foreword by Roy Blount, Jr. provides the book a touch of literati legitimacy, but is ultimately rambling and unfocused. Sure, it's interesting, but he's not saying anything we don't already know. The book concludes with a far too brief "Guide To The F-Word In Some Other Languages." Inspired concept, extremely poor execution. No, we don't need hundreds of pages exploring f--k in other languages, but if you're going to provide this little goodie, go the extra mile and complete the work. Yeah, German, French, Spanish, Latin, even Esperanto, Hebrew, and Basque are listed, but where are Sicilian, Corsican, Boer, Swahili, etc.? I've just gotta know!
Rating: 
Summary: Revised second edition coming!
Review: A second edition is revised to include new words (including creative f-words from Great Britain and Australia) and new examples of usage (from Jack Kerouac and Monica Lewinsky, among others). Look for The F-Word, 2nd Edition, 0375706348. "The last taboo has fallen." -- U.S. News & World Report "Thrilling..." -- Time
Rating: 
Summary: WHY do we NEED THIS word??
Review: Are we so unintelligent that we must use words like this in our language? Truly intelligent people don't need to use words like this to convey a thought or opinion. In a world where children speak disrespectfully to parents and every sentence spoken by many people contains an obscenity is it really necessary to focus on what many consider the most useless word in the English Lanuage? Reader's Digest carried an article in their Dec 1998 issue about this word's uselessness. We no longer need consent of a king to fornicate, must we glamorize this word to keep it alive? Does Random House think this is the type of book we as Americans NEED to read? They have certainly scraped the bottom of the barrel publishing this book. I've got a suggestion.. instead of reading this book, why don't we drop it from our language? There are certainly other words that can be substituted for "The F Word", and other books too.
Rating: 
Summary: At last! Truth in editing! This is really cool stuff!
Review: Here it is folks. The truth about what we say. Who defines our vocabulary anyway? Who decides what IS or IS NOT a "bad" word?! This is a great book -- one everybody should read! Makes a super coffee table read!
Rating:
Summary: A delightful dictionary!
Review: I can't imagine wanting to sit down and read any other dictionary from cover to cover. A fun and informative read that manages to bring scholarly rigor to its slangy subject.
Rating: 
Summary: This book should vilify, not glorify.
Review: I read this book while doing research for my own book, CUSS CONTROL, the Complete Book on How to Curb your Cursing. I give the editor credit for the compilation, but for what purpose? Some of the expressions are clever, some are funny, but most are not. People who read this book looking for new ways to express themselves should determine if they will come across as amusing or just crass. While I believe the basic word has some value, promoting its use is a social disservice. The fact that the book has received so many favorable reviews reflects the decline of civility and the dumbing down of both our language and our concept of what is funny. My book has an entire chapter on this word that is not only more amusing, but also thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: This book should vilify, not glorify.
Review: I read this book while doing research for my own book, CUSS CONTROL, the Complete Book on How to Curb your Cursing. I give the editor credit for the compilation, but for what purpose? Some of the expressions are clever, some are funny, but most are not. People who read this book looking for new ways to express themselves should determine if they will come across as amusing or just crass. While I believe the basic word has some value, promoting its use is a social disservice. The fact that the book has received so many favorable reviews reflects the decline of civility and the dumbing down of both our language and our concept of what is funny. My book has an entire chapter on this word that is not only more amusing, but also thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: An alternative dictionary and word history
Review: I seriously believe there's no such thing as an "obscene" word; it's usage that gives a word any perceived obscenity. That said, "The F Word" is an interesting little book that doesn't mince...um...words. The smart and irreverent introduction provides you with the etymology of the f word; Roy Blount's foreword is another nice touch. Then there's the body of the book. This is a dictionary, straight and simple. Like any other dictionary, it gets a little eye-numbing if you try to read it straight through. This is a volume to dip into in bits and pieces. The F Word is a definitive study of a the word that we're not supposed to say but all know so very well! Use it for humor, use it for reference, use it your own word education. Writers stuck for an insult within their prose will certainly find a plethora of potential in these pages.
Rating:
Summary: An alternative dictionary and word history
Review: I seriously believe there's no such thing as an "obscene" word; it's usage that gives a word any perceived obscenity. That said, "The F Word" is an interesting little book that doesn't mince...um...words. The smart and irreverent introduction provides you with the etymology of the f word; Roy Blount's foreword is another nice touch. Then there's the body of the book. This is a dictionary, straight and simple. Like any other dictionary, it gets a little eye-numbing if you try to read it straight through. This is a volume to dip into in bits and pieces. The F Word is a definitive study of a the word that we're not supposed to say but all know so very well! Use it for humor, use it for reference, use it your own word education. Writers stuck for an insult within their prose will certainly find a plethora of potential in these pages.
|
