Rating: 
Summary: Fun and Profound
Review: At first glance this book may seem to be just another funny little mock dictionary. It is funny, and it is a little mock dictionary of sorts. But when you sit down and start reading it, you begin to realize that it's much much more. Balistreri has written a subtle, sophisticated and clever commentary -- that's very fun to read -- on how we use the simplest and most benign-seeming words to evade the truth. Not so much to lie to others as to lie to ourselves, to lie about ourselves and what we're truly thinking. We all know that we don't always say what we mean, but Balistreri shows just how often we do this -- more often than you think! -- and how often these (self-)deceptions lurk behind our use of the basic elements of language. Happily, Balistreri presents these thought-provoking revelations in a highly entertaining, bitingly humorous way. This is the kind of book that's so smart and funny that you'll repeatedly have the urge to read passages aloud to the nearest victim.
Rating: 
Summary: The idiosyncrasies of our language
Review: Balistreri highlights the subtle nuances that set the English language apart from all others. People seldom realize that they speak English so poorly, even those who are masters of grammar usage. I think this book should be required reading for all higher level high school English classes. It really points out just how much we abuse and misuse our language.
Rating:
Summary: The idiosyncrasies of our language
Review: Balistreri highlights the subtle nuances that set the English language apart from all others. People seldom realize that they speak English so poorly, even those who are masters of grammar usage. I think this book should be required reading for all higher level high school English classes. It really points out just how much we abuse and misuse our language.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book...please!
Review: Contrary to what the author thinks, I blame the viral use of the word 'like' - the precursor to the computer virus - on ... Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Who didn't let that little munchy craving, paranoid pothead infect us all? The word is everywhere, ubiquitous, nonsense and useless. Finally, finally, finally, someone exposes the term for what it is - evasion. She breaks it down and reveals its many uses. Other terms such as 'whatever' are give due treatment as well. The book is linguistically sound and is humorous, if you get the joke. I cannot recommend this book enough if you wish to expose the virus and root it out of your vocabulary.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book...please!
Review: Contrary to what the author thinks, I blame the viral use of the word 'like' - the precursor to the computer virus - on ... Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Who didn't let that little munchy craving, paranoid pothead infect us all? The word is everywhere, ubiquitous, nonsense and useless. Finally, finally, finally, someone exposes the term for what it is - evasion. She breaks it down and reveals its many uses. Other terms such as 'whatever' are give due treatment as well. The book is linguistically sound and is humorous, if you get the joke. I cannot recommend this book enough if you wish to expose the virus and root it out of your vocabulary.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book...please!
Review: Contrary to what the author thinks, I blame the viral use of the word 'like' that is the precursor to the computer viruson Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Who didn't watch that as a kid? Who didn't let that little pothead infect us all? The word is everywhere, ubiquitous, nonsense and useless. Finally, finally, finally, someone exposes the term for what it is - evasion. She breaks it down and reveals its many uses. Other terms are give due treatment as well. The book is scholastically sound and is humorous, if you get the joke. I cannot recommend this book enough if you wish to expose the virus and root it out of your vocabulary.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but Over Priced
Review: I liked the book, althought some of the sections seemed stretched. My only real complaint is over the price ... . Pulling the pamphlet sized book from the Amazon box left me feeling a bit cheated.
Rating:
Summary: Wit and Whatever
Review: I, like, really liked this book. Balistreri's Evasion English Dictionary is a whip smart, witty expose of how we don't say-say exactly what we mean. To prove her point, Balistreri provides hilarious examples of office-speak, relationship banter, and parenting jibberish that read like dialogue from an Ionesco play. Whatever. I can't wait for the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Wit and Whatever
Review: If your bedside table pile includes Bierce and Mencken, you'll want to add this book to the stack. It's a pleasurable skewering of evasive language (even when it's your evasions that are the ones, like, being skewered), done with such gorgeous logic and good humor that you DO feel the terrible urge to read bits of it out loud to those nearest and dearest to you. Ignore that urge and give those near and dear their own copies. (Just don't be surprised when they start to read aloud to YOU.)
Rating:
Summary: It's Funny Because It's True.
Review: If your bedside table pile includes Bierce and Mencken, you'll want to add this book to the stack. It's a pleasurable skewering of evasive language (even when it's your evasions that are the ones, like, being skewered), done with such gorgeous logic and good humor that you DO feel the terrible urge to read bits of it out loud to those nearest and dearest to you. Ignore that urge and give those near and dear their own copies. (Just don't be surprised when they start to read aloud to YOU.)
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