Rating: 
Summary: This book was awesome!
Review: A joyful read and delightfully funny! I only gave it four stars because it could have been longer! I await Anu's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Word A Day is a gift of love from the Garg family
Review: Anu Garg dreams of a "society (that) will replace guns with dictionaries." This utopian hope is unfortunately not likely to ever occur. Nonetheless, the author of this "romp through some of the most unusual and intriguing words in English" is doing his utmost to make the world a better place. Many loyal subscribers have long been receiving his free daily "Wordsmith" e-mail that serves to expand our knowledge and understanding of the English language. Garg takes us along on a journey to explore a myriad collection of words that aid us in communicating with each other. Ever wondered what one should call a group of Pheasants? What about annus mirabilis? Anu Garg will gladly tell you. He will also explain the meaning of a clochard or a massif. The English language is constantly evolving. Those who lived in the Middle Ages would be bewildered by the common tongue of today. Our democratic culture guarantees that English will never ossify and be under the control of an elite oligarchy. We will keep on adding more words and reinterpreting some in new ways previously thought not acceptable. Thus, Anu Garg will never be able to rest knowing that his task is finished. He has a job for life. The author thankfully possesses more than sufficient talent to handle these responsibilities. Almost certainly Garg's delightful wife Stuti and their wonderful five year old daughter Ananya will continue to offer their assistance. This is a fantastic book that should definitely grace your personal bookshelf. Moreover, it also makes a splendid gift for just about any occasion.
Rating:
Summary: A Word A Day is a gift of love from the Garg family
Review: Anu Garg dreams of a "society (that) will replace guns with dictionaries." This utopian hope is unfortunately not likely to ever occur. Nonetheless, the author of this "romp through some of the most unusual and intriguing words in English" is doing his utmost to make the world a better place. Many loyal subscribers have long been receiving his free daily "Wordsmith" e-mail that serves to expand our knowledge and understanding of the English language. Garg takes us along on a journey to explore a myriad collection of words that aid us in communicating with each other. Ever wondered what one should call a group of Pheasants? What about annus mirabilis? Anu Garg will gladly tell you. He will also explain the meaning of a clochard or a massif. The English language is constantly evolving. Those who lived in the Middle Ages would be bewildered by the common tongue of today. Our democratic culture guarantees that English will never ossify and be under the control of an elite oligarchy. We will keep on adding more words and reinterpreting some in new ways previously thought not acceptable. Thus, Anu Garg will never be able to rest knowing that his task is finished. He has a job for life. The author thankfully possesses more than sufficient talent to handle these responsibilities. Almost certainly Garg's delightful wife Stuti and their wonderful five year old daughter Ananya will continue to offer their assistance. This is a fantastic book that should definitely grace your personal bookshelf. Moreover, it also makes a splendid gift for just about any occasion.
Rating:
Summary: Word-lover's delight
Review: Anu's Word.A.Day online list of words at work and at play has been delighting subscribers since 1994. This compendium is full of the kind of verbal nuggets you can read at your desk, your bedside, or even the breakfast table, rejoicing in derivations, roots, wandering meanings, and obscure contexts.
Rating:
Summary: A treat for lovers of words
Review: Fans of the always-intriguing 'A Word a Day' email newsletter will be delighted to see this compilation by creator Anu Garg. Garg is a great and sensitive painter of the play of words in English -- their history, their quirks, their shades of meanings, even their sounds. Rarely if ever does he fall into the all-too-common trap of polemics about language deterioration that some commentators indulge in. Garg is clearly a lover of his subject and knows a great deal. Topics are presented in clever sections such as "I Didn't Know there was a Word for That!" The jacket blurb by Richard Lederer, no slouch of a writer about words himself, refers to A Word a Day as a "banquet of words." I wouldn't go that far, because my only complaint is that due to the large print and margins, I left this book hungry for more. So I hope there's a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: A real humdinger!
Review: I agree with the accurate praise from other reviewers. This book is perfect gift for word lovers, history buffs and anyone who delights in the quirkiness of the English language. My copy is always close at hand - just the thing to satisfy the urge for a quick tidbit of brain candy. Fans of Anu's A-Word-A-Day (AWAD) will love this book. If you're not already a janissary, check out Anu's site. You'll see why AWAD has brought daily smiles to more than 400,000 linguaphiles in over 195 countries. Soon you'll be hooked and want your own copy of this wonderful compilation. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Fun for word addicts
Review: I am a word addict and this fulfills the need. A great gift for anyone who constantly asks, "what is the true meaning behind..."
Rating: 
Summary: A USELESS COLLECTION OF WORDS THAT RARELY EVEN EXIST
Review: I strongly recommend against buying this book. As someone who can pretty much ace an SAT or any vocabulary test, I can tell you that basically no matter who you are, you will find this book usless and boring. Unless you have a better vocabulary than 99.9% of people (I do), you will not know or ever see the majority of these words (I haven't). There are some good ones - less than 10% of them - but if you want to improve your vocaulary, try something else. If you like words that are not even in the dictionary (except maybe Oxford Unabridged), words that never have and never will be used, or words that make you sound so smart that even the smartest 1% of the population won't know what you're saying, you might actually enjoy this book. However, if you don't fit into one of the above catergories: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! Try Word Power or Word Smart I & II if you would like to acquire a good vocabulary or sound educated.
Rating:
Summary: A USELESS COLLECTION OF WORDS THAT RARELY EVEN EXIST
Review: I will keep it brief because the title of this book explains its subject matter well. This is a well-written, intriguing little book that begs to be pored over at one's leisure. It is a pleasure to read about obscure words and their origins.
Rating:
Summary: linguistic delight
Review: I will keep it brief because the title of this book explains its subject matter well. This is a well-written, intriguing little book that begs to be pored over at one's leisure. It is a pleasure to read about obscure words and their origins.
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