false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172278933m/159395.jpg 1196461 11 The latest edition of the <I>American Heritage Dictionary</I> is out, and that's hot news--not just for the resolute followers of lexicographical minutiae, but for the general reading and writing public as well. Why? Because the <I>American Heritage</I> is a long-standing favorite family dictionary (never underestimate the value of pictures) and one of the prime dictionary references for magazines, newspapers, and dot.com content providers. For scads of writers and editors across the U.S., it sets the standard on matters of style and lexicographical authority.<p> So this new edition is exciting and noteworthy, but how good is it? In its favor, the fourth edition is as current a dictionary as you can get. It's six years fresher than the 1994 version, with 10,000 words and definitions you won't find in the still venerable but now slightly dated third edition. For example, unlike its predecessor (and also unlike the 1996 <I>Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary</I>), this fourth edition covers <i>dot-com</i>, <i>e-commerce</i>, and <i>soccer mom</i>, <i>Ebonics</i>, <i>Viagra</i>, and a <i>surf</i> definition for cruising television channels and the Internet.<p> Its panel of special consultants includes authorities on anthropology, architecture, cinema, and law, plus military science, music, religion, and sports, and that is reflected in an impressively comprehensive coverage of the arts, culture, and technology. Sadly, however, there are no medical consultants on the panel, and that loss is felt in some substandard medical definitions. Other flaws: there's a greater than usual tendency to define a word with a form of the same word--for example, <i>fuzzy</i>, whose first two definitions are "1. covered with fuzz." and "2. of or resembling fuzz." And some definitions seem needlessly wordy, such as the entry for <i>furious</i>, which is "full of or characterized by extreme anger; raging." Compare that with the more succinct <I>Oxford Encyclopedic</I> entry: "1. extremely angry. 2. full of fury."<p> On the other hand, there are valuable entries throughout the dictionary supplying additional information on synonyms, usage, or word history, and these extras, such as the history of <i>diatribe</i> and the usage notes on <i>discomfit</i>, are interesting. The layout is easy on the eyes, with dark blue/green bold type setting the words apart from their definitions, and 4,000 color photographs, maps, and illustrations that are both useful and delightful. On one page, the margin provides color depictions of Francis Bacon, bacterium, and a Bactrian camel. Theodore Roosevelt and a rooster share another margin, while a third page offers Isak Dinesen, a dingo, and dinoflagellate. It is a fascinating book to peruse, and a compellingly scholarly addition to the <I>American Heritage Dictionary</I> line. <I>--Stephanie Gold</I> 1184538 6 8 1982 The American Heritage Dictionary 2nd College Ed, Thumb Index total:16|5:7|4:7|3:1|2:1|1:0| 16 68 60 4 0 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 19:35:29 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 19:35:56 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 20 15:34:02 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 20 15:34:13 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Sat Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 22:49:10 -0700 2009 Fri Nov 13 14:18:42 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jan 24 14:41:52 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 24 14:42:25 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 13 20:42:38 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 13 20:42:38 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Oct 30 16:12:19 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 30 16:12:19 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Oct 29 10:34:51 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 10:35:00 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Oct 19 07:10:10 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 19 07:10:10 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Oct 02 13:43:53 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 13:43:53 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Sep 11 22:22:52 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 11 22:23:02 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Aug 22 11:01:46 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 11:04:00 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Aug 04 15:51:15 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 04 15:51:15 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 02 09:00:03 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 02 09:00:03 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jul 27 05:53:53 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 05:53:53 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jun 01 09:39:50 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 16:54:34 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri May 15 22:14:17 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 22:14:17 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Feb 20 20:08:22 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 20 20:08:22 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Feb 09 08:09:10 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 08:09:10 -0800 2009 2 0 false false Mon Feb 02 14:14:34 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 02 14:14:34 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jan 22 08:29:48 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 22 08:29:59 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=159395