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Summary: The perfect way to improve your vocabulary in a few months
Review: I purchased this book a couple of years ago with the desire to improve my vocabulary before leaving college and entering the business world. I had low expectations, and they were met and exceeded. Here are some of the high points:
- The book includes a beginning examination to test your vocabulary prowess.
- Each chapter groups words together that have the same etymological background. This is key in helping you remember definitions in the long run.
-Each chapter teaches/tests the pronunciation, definition, and forms of each word.
Overall, you cannot go wrong with this text. The only behavior I strongly suggest is that you do not take a break from this book. It becomes very difficult to jump back at a later time.
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Summary: Miller Analogies Test (MAT) Prep!
Review: I purchased this book in 1999 and never opened it.
The application process for my PhD program required updated MAT scores.
To my relief, I remembered I had Lewis' book and studied it alongside Barron's, "How to Prepare for the MAT.". It's the BEST vocab builder on the market -- especially if you need to build your vocab quickly. If you're planning on taking the MAT -- buy this book along with Barron's and you'll definitely increase your scores.
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Summary: It's a wonderful journey for vocabulary!
Review: I spent a period of time reading and learning this book. It was a wonderful experience when each time I finished reading a chapter and got the new ideas for the new words. That kind of satisfication is just overdescription especially for me when English is not my native language for naturally speaking.I would strongly recommand this book for whoever wants to make progress in his word-building and knowledge-growing. The author has his way to induce you into the world of words and surprisingly you would find many things just happen like what he said as you learned the book step by step. I still have to enhance my ability in English, and this book is just the beginning. And we Chinese often say the good beginning is already half of the success because you've got the right teacher!
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Summary: BEST S.A.T. PREP OUT THERE FOR VERBAL SECTION
Review: I used this book to prepare for my SATs years ago and raised my Verbal score from a 590 to a 710. I now Teach SAT prep, have looked at lots of materials, and have never found anything better than this book. Don't be put off by an early chapter with loads of medical words, and you have to be prepared to put in the time to really do the work properly, howver this book is first rate.
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Summary: 18 years later, it still resonates
Review: I was assigned this book in my 8th grade English class, and it by far the best book for expanding one's vocabulary. The method in which Lewis introduces 10 words per chapter and then takes them apart to their stems, prefixes, suffixes, et al, is uncanny, and at the same time almost genius-like. This book should be seriously considered as required reading in all junior-high schools.
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Summary: Word Power Made Easy
Review: I was introduced to this book through a college course. Only a month or two after using this tool, people I worked with commented on the growth of my vocabulary. It was as if by magic. It didn't hurt at all. If you struggle with pronunciation, spelling, and usage, this book could be just the magic you need.
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Summary: Interesting reading...
Review: I was referred this book by a number of people. So I borrowed it from a friend. I used it to prepare for my GRE exam (I'll still go for Kaplan or Princeton). The book claims to make is easy to learn words. I must admit it is not what it claims to be, but still is a very good book none the less. I still find it an interesting reading. The approach here is to help learn words using etymology. While you come across a lot of words that can be etymologically derived (Juggernaut, Chronology, Insect ...) but such words may not be recognizable to the uneducated eye (the book claims to teach you) and not a whole lot of words you come across have an etymology based on a word you already know (that's how the book works - you must be familiar with either the root word or a word of similar etymology.) Having said that, I must explain why I rate it so high. This book makes sure you know and remember the words it teaches you. Unlike other books that gives you meanings like a dictionary would or a book that groups words based on a particular attribute and wants you to learn them, this book has a method that works. The etymology is ingrained into your mind (for quite some time) partly because the Author keeps blabbering on and on about the word and partly because he gives you a lot of related words. You learn both by repetition and association. Now what makes it 5 star. Simple, the book introduced me to the world of etymology. I found it very interesting and still do. I still try to find the etymology of words (etymology is more interesting then genealogy) I find etymology has become a part of how I look at words. Thanks to this book I enjoy words like English~German six~sechs, seven~sieben, I~ich, thou~du; English~Sanskrit Juggernaut~Jaggannath, Brother~bhatra, Mother~matra; English~French Dandelion~dent de lion (almost half the words in English are related to French words) Pick this book to become an amateur etymologist. Read one chapter a day, you will know a lot in a month without ever getting bored. Enjoy the grammar lessons and exercise at the end of chapters. You will know a lot of words by the end of the month but not as many the author would want you to believe. Another thing those words are part of the "GRE most probable" list.
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Summary: What a title!
Review: If you are even CURIOUS about boosting your language, you must purchase this work of art. I've learned so many different words and origins from this title and I've even tested most of them on my parents. My father is a Jeopardy master it seems, answering almost every question in the game but he still cannot answer every definition in this book. This book focuses on different types of people, personalites, etc, and origins of words. It's a GREAT place to start, and the reviews are so well presented that I can guarantee that you will not forget the words if you follow through. And it's pretty fun too. It is also my recommendation that you also obtain "30 Days to a better vocabulary" by Normal Lewis and Dr. Wilfred Funk. This book focuses on sophistaced words that can be used in day-to-day conversations and give you the appearence of an educated individual. My recommendation is to obtain both of these works. Start either one first, and you will soon become an unstoppable warrior of language, guaranteed!
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Summary: A treasure trove of great words!
Review: In a logical, but more importantly, enjoyable manner, Norman Lewis makes vocabulary building a breeze. Having studied for the SATs the wrong way, w/ flash cards and numerous burdensome lists, i was relieved to find such a book. no extra study time is needed for let's say writing them down on flash cards. it beats it down into you w/ roots, word histories, entertaining anecdotes, and numerous exercises. This has to be the most necessary tool for the SATs and any other worthwhile endeavor involving vocabulary.
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Summary: Sanchez's error
Review: My husband recently bought "30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary" and I casually opened it to a page at random. On p. 287, there is a "test" with a question which reads: Is a lecherous man a misogynist? True or false. Shockingly, the answer, in the book, is false. What a sad commentary on the author, the editors and all the "positive" reviewers that they think that a man given to excessive self-indulgence with women "loves" them when such obsessive behavior is antithetical to true love, in which the well-being of the loved person is paramount. Of course, lechery is a close cousin to physical abuse. And, that's the danger in this vocabulary error.
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