Rating: 
Summary: Top of the line dictionary
Review: The dictionary is well published with easy access. The definitions are concise explainations. I recommend this dictionary to anyone who is interested in obtaining a great dictionary that could be rated with that of a Cadillac of dictionaries. I am proud to have it on my book shelf!
Rating:
Summary: Top of the line dictionary
Review: The dictionary is well published with easy access. The definitions are concise explainations. I recommend this dictionary to anyone who is interested in obtaining a great dictionary that could be rated with that of a Cadillac of dictionaries. I am proud to have it on my book shelf!
Rating:
Summary: There isn't any better dictionary other than the OED
Review: There isn't any better dictionary in English, other than the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). I bought my first American Heritage Dictionary in 1970 at the recommendation of one of my college instructors, who was a poet. He said it was the best and it was. No other dictionary reference book ever came close to examining and explaining words and their definitions as effectively as the American Heritage. Only when I wanted the most intense definition of a word based on its root origins would I turn to the OED. The American Heritage Dictionary is not an esoteric book, however. This masterful accomplishment of editiong has all the words and their meanings(more than the college edition which makes this a better book for the language majors) and is easy to use and clear. This is a classic book for everyone who needs to know what a word means. I wish they had this version in CD-Rom.
Rating:
Summary: The best Dictionary available
Review: This is by far the best dictionary on the market. Far better than Merriam-Webster's outdated and obtuse dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary is a dictionary for the 21st century. It is up-to-date, informative, pleasing to look at and browse. I would gladly pay full price for this dictionary. Finally, I can discard my outdate M-W dictionary. What a joy!
Rating:
Summary: Wait for the new 4th edition of "AHD"
Review: Unless one has an urgent need for "The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language," third edition, hardcover [ISBN: 0395448956 or ISBN: 0395711460], please wait until September 14, 2000, when the same dictionary will come out in a fourth edition [ISBN: 0395825172]. Of course, when I wrote the previous "AHD" review a few days ago, I did not know a new edition was being issued so soon. Another note: please do not confuse "The American Dictionary of the English Language" with the "College" version of the same dictionary, which is not as good. If one wants a great dictionary on CD-Rom, then I recommend the "OED," second edition. I have the Mac version, (and I love it), but I have to keep it as my "resident" CD-Rom for it to work. Unless one is a matriculated English major, I do not imagine that one would need a CD-Rom version.
Rating:
Summary: The best Dictionary available
Review: Without a doubt this is a far superior dictionary than the Merrium-Webster's dictionary. This dictionary is designed the way a dictionary should be. Definitions are listed not how they evolved historically, but how they are used with the most common usage of a word coming before less common uses. Also, the English usage notes in the dictionary are more reflective of the way English is used in the United States than the MW dictionary.
Rating:
Summary: Far Superior to Merrium-Webster's
Review: Without a doubt this is a far superior dictionary than the Merrium-Webster's dictionary. This dictionary is designed the way a dictionary should be. Definitions are listed not how they evolved historically, but how they are used with the most common usage of a word coming before less common uses. Also, the English usage notes in the dictionary are more reflective of the way English is used in the United States than the MW dictionary.
Rating: 
Summary: A hefty college dictionary
Review: You won't find much in here that you can't find in one of the better desk dictionaries, such as Merriam-Webster's or Webster's New World. While presenting an attractive and respectable view of the language, this over-sized tome is heavy, bulky, and expensive. This awkward book collects dust on my shelf while I continue to use the more convenient, more scholarly, and more comprehensive Merriam-Webster's Collegiate. While I would recommend this book over the American Heritage College Dictionary, for its fuller definitions, and more numerous usage notes and synonym studies, I am not excited by it. The pictures are nice, but too often I've found that they convey little extra information. The printing is attractive, but the paper stock is thin, lacks body, and must be handled delicately to avoid damage. And for all its bulk, this book has many fewer words of text than the much more compact Merriam-Webster Collegiate. In short, what the publishers have produced here is a book that has initial visual appeal, but upon use, is found to be wanting. Try lugging this one along in your briefcase on your next assignment and you'll know what I'm talking about. And thumbing your way thru this book is a tedious and fussy business. The pages tend to droop when turned, thus leading to creased and crumpled pages. Despite its pleasing appearance, this is not a book that invites frequent use.
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