Word Histories and Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus (American Heritage Dictionaries)

Word Histories and Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus (American Heritage Dictionaries)
Average customer rating:

I would like to say that it's a little bit dissapointing

A very fine linquistic survey

Word Histories and Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus (American Heritage Dictionaries)

Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Word Origins ... and How We Know Them: Etymology for Everyone

ASIN: 0618454500

Book Description

Did you know that cats are related etymologically to caterpillars? Or that Thomas Edison played a key role in popularizing the use of the greeting "Hello"? Or that muscles were originally mice, since a flexed biceps looks like a little rodent scurrying under the skin?

Word Histories and Mysteries provides a panoramic view of the unique richness of English, uncovering the origins of five hundred everyday words whose surprising and often amusing stories offer insights into the history of humankind. Arranged in convenient alphabetical order, the notes are written in a lively and entertaining style perfect for browsing. The reader can learn how some of the most recent words, such as the computer term wiki, were coined, or trace the origins of English back to the Indo-European language spoken long before the invention of writing.

A short introduction outlines the techniques linguists use to trace the history of words, and a handy glossary explains the linguistic terms that describe the ways in which language changes over time. Photographs and drawings help familiarize the reader with the ancient objects or cultural practices from which our words have sprung.

Fascinating and fun to read, Word Histories and Mysteries is an ideal gift for high school or college students interested in language and for anyone who wants to know more about the curious sounds we make to communicate every day.

Customer Reviews:

I would like to say that it's a little bit dissapointing .......2005-05-30

This paperback compendium of articles on the origins of words has been compiled by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Among the oddities revealed by its writers are that average derives from an Old French word meaning "damage to shipping", that caprice comes by a devious route from an old Italian word for a hedgehog, that in medieval times deer was the name for any creature, that in Middle English dinner could mean breakfast, that fawn and fetus are etymologically connected, that garage is from a French word whose first sense in that language was a place where one moors one's boat, that junk originally meant old rope ... and so on. Its writers have not shied away from discussing features of some of the most common words, such as a, it and they.
You will also be painlessly introduced to some of the terminology and ideas of etymology, such as back-formation (a word mistakenly formed from another by removing what looks like an ending), folk etymology (popular legends about word origins), metanalysis (a shift in the division between words, as a napron became an apron, metathesis (in which sounds are transposed inside a word, as wops turned into wasp), and melioration (in which over time a word becomes more elevated or positive in meaning). Though not all these terms are explained in the text, there is a glossary at the end of the book.

A very fine linquistic survey .......2005-02-08

How do new words enter the English language and dictionaries - and where did some older oddities come from? Plenty of 'word origin' titles are published; the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries answer numerous questions about what influences word changes and popularity, providing the stories of over 400 words from all areas of the vocabulary. Word Histories And Mysteries: From Abracadabra To Zeus is a very fine linquistic survey which is especially recommended for 'word origin' fans.

Average customer rating:

My little girl loves this book

Caillou Is Sick (Abracadabra series)
Roger Harvey
Manufacturer: Chouette Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Caillou: The Birthday Party (Scooter series)
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Caillou at the Zoo (Playtime series)

ASIN: 2894505477

Book Description

Caillou is sick. He is covered in spots and cannot play outside with Rosie. He does not like being sick, especially when he feels so itchy!

Customer Reviews:

My little girl loves this book.......2007-02-06

My daughter sleeps with this book every night. I've had to repair the cover and pages so many times that I've lost count because she's worn it out so fast! A nice story that helps kids get over some of the fear of being sick.

Abracadabra: SECRET METHODS MAGICIANS AND OTHERS USE TO DECEIVE THEIR AUDIENCE

Average customer rating:

Very thorough and entertaining
Abracadaba
Magicians use more than smoke and mirrors to deceive audiences

Abracadabra: SECRET METHODS MAGICIANS AND OTHERS USE TO DECEIVE THEIR AUDIENCE
Nathaniel Schiffman
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Magic in Theory: An Introduction to the Theoretical and Psychological Elements of Conjuring
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Practical Mental Magic

ASIN: 1591022487

Book Description

Magicians use more than just mirrors, string, and sleight of hand to deceive their audience. Those who are masters at this trade have developed an arsenal of techniques to manipulate people. Every action and utterance on stage and off is precisely planned to achieve a specific effect. Abracadabra! is an insider's look at what goes on at a magic show, behind-the-scenes, and in the mind of the magician. Nathaniel Schiffman explains the principles of deception, exposing those seemingly innocent motions that conceal vital actions from onlookers; how the conjurer uses misdirection of space and time to mislead the audience; how silly and simple optical illusions can fool us; and what to look for during a magic show. Also explored in detail is the world of offstage magic. Some "magicians" use various techniques in life to deceive and influence you, yet these magicians don't boast of their magic talent, because they are advertisers, politicians, generals, spies, con artists, computer programmers, movie directors, faith healers, psychics, and others. These "magicians" work to make you buy their product, believe in their cause, and influence your thinking from the time you get up in the morning, until you go to bed at night. This is not a "how to" book for aspiring magicians, but a layperson's guide to methods used to mislead or fool you. Lighthearted and informal, Abracadabra! will fascinate anyone interested in knowing how one person can control many. Included are hands-on experiments, magic tricks, and reader participation segments. You'll soon see that magicians don't just manipulate playing cards and animals; they manipulate you.

Customer Reviews:

Very thorough and entertaining.......2007-08-11

This book did not disappoint. A well researched body of work and written for the average layperson. While some of the chapters stalled in certain areas, the overall work is great for those who must figure out how these magicians do the "impossible" tricks they do.

Abracadaba.......2007-03-08

I ENJOY THE BOOK IT WAS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL AS IT WAS INTERTAINING.

Magicians use more than smoke and mirrors to deceive audiences.......2006-01-02

Magicians use more than smoke and mirrors to deceive audiences, but their secrets are rarely revealed. Writer and magic enthusiast Nathaniel Schiffman's Abracadabra! Secret Methods Magicians And Others Use To Deceive Their Audience provides a lay reader's guide to common methods used to fool or mislead audiences. While experiments and magic tricks are included, the focus here is on how a magician manipulates the audience toward belief: an intriguing expose is created.

Caillou and Gilbert (Abracadabra series)

Average customer rating:

Not for 2 yr old

Caillou and Gilbert (Abracadabra series)
Joceline Sanschagrin
Manufacturer: Chouette Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2894505965

Book Description

With Mommy's help, Caillou realizes that cats like different games than little boys do.

Customer Reviews:

Not for 2 yr old.......2007-06-27

I bought this book for my 2 yr 4 month old son, who loves Caillou. He loved the stickers but that was about it. There are way to many words per page for a small child. The book may be great for a four year old.

Caillou and the Rain (Abracadabra series)

Average customer rating:

Caillou and the Rain (Abracadabra series)
Roger Harvey
Manufacturer: Chouette Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2894505957

Book Description

Its raining outside but Mommy and Caillou have errands to do. Caillou gets distracted while getting ready to go out.

Caillou: Goes to Work (Abracadabra series)

Average customer rating:

My son loves Caillou

Caillou: Goes to Work (Abracadabra series)
Roger Harvey
Manufacturer: Chouette Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2894505485

Book Description

Caillou goes to Mommys office for the first time.When Daddy comes to pick him up, Caillou proudly shows him how well he worked.

Customer Reviews:

My son loves Caillou.......2007-05-12

Cute story. Caillou goes to work w/ his mommy for the day. Would recommend this book to any Caillou enthusiast!

The Universal Book of Mathematics: From Abracadabra to Zeno's Paradoxes

Average customer rating:

Recreational Mathematics ...exercise and enjoyment for the mind.
It is on my essential reference shelf
Everything you wanted to know about mathematics and far more

The Universal Book of Mathematics: From Abracadabra to Zeno's Paradoxes
David J. Darling
Manufacturer: Castle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785822976

Download Description

A walk through history¿s most mind-boggling puzzles

Ever since the Sphinx asked his legendary riddle of Oedipus, riddles, conundrums, and puzzles of all sizes have kept humankind perplexed and amused. The Liar Paradox and the Towers of Hanoi takes die-hard puzzle mavens on a tour of the world¿s most enduringly intriguing braintwisters, from Königsberg¿s Bridges and the Hanoi Towers to Fibonacci¿s Rabbits, the Four Color Problem, and the Magic Square. Each chapter introduces the basic puzzle, discusses the mathematics behind it, and includes exercises and answers plus additional puzzles similar to the one under discussion. Here is a veritable kaleidoscope of puzzling labyrinths, maps, bridges, and optical illusions that will keep aficionados entertained for hours.

Marcel Danesi (Etobicoke, ON, Canada) is the author of Increase Your Puzzle IQ

Customer Reviews:

Recreational Mathematics ...exercise and enjoyment for the mind........2007-06-22

I have had an interest in Recreational Mathematics ever since my High School days; at least 55 years ago. I can still remember constructing a 15 Puzzle using a block of wood and my mother's wooden yardstick,with numbers pasted on from a calendar.Then there was the cardboard set of Tangrams I made after reading about them in a book.The next thing I can recall was Magic Squares and learning how to solve any odd-number.I was then nearly driven to distraction trying to find the "secret" to solving even- numbered Magic Squares. In High School,after encountering Logrithms for the first time,I couldn't get enough of them.I was talking to my Math teacher one day after school,telling him how fascinating I found them. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a Slide Rule.He asked me if I knew what it was. I had never seen or heard of one. He showed me how it was based on Logrithims and could be used to multiply,divide ,etc. Then he handed me a little booklet and sent me packing with it and the slide rule. It was the most fascinating thing I'd ever seen and almost as much fun as girls and shooting pool.I guess my love for puzzles and such was what led me into pursuing college and eventually becoming an Engineer.
All through the years,I've retained this interest in Puzzles and Recreational Mathematics. I started to acquire books on the subject,and once reading about Sam Loyd and the "Cyclopedia of Puzzles" ,I couldn't contain myself until I could at least see it and maybe even acquire a copy.It was published in 1914,and included over 5,000 puzzles,tricks,conundrums,riddles,etc.,of which about 1'000 are illustrated.Solutions are printed in the last pages.However,a number of puzzles were selected as "Prize Puzzles" and the solutions were withheld.A prize of $100 would be awarded to the person who sent in the best set of correct answers before January,1915.Because of errors,multiple solutions,impossible solutions,etc., it was impossible to determine a winner. It was quite a story!.After much effort,I finally got myself a copy and without doubt it is my prized puzzle book possession. I have never seen another copy,but it is sometimes shown in other puzzle books. I believe it has been reprinted ,and a condensed version was also published.
Over the years,I have added many Math and Puzzle books to my library and now have about 600.
I go through all this ,just to show you how much I think of this new book by David Darling.
I don't know whether it should be called a Dictionary,an Encyclopedia, (it's not a "Cyclopedia" as Sam Loyd called his),a Compendium, or what. It is all those things and much more.But not to worry,Darling had to call it something and I guess his title is as good as any.
It is a basic reference book dealing with all kinds of things,people ,definitions,theories,puzzles,terms, and Recreational mathematics. If you are reading about anything or anybody in these areas and want to know more;this will be the book to turn to to get started.
The book is organized alphabetically,like an encyclopedia,but also has an Index by category. It has an extensive and excellent Reference as well.
There is no doubt that I will turn to this book often in the future.It's only a shame I didn't have it ;or something similar to it many years ago.
Please don't take a few things I'm going to say as nitpicking. That is not my intent,So,here goes;

On page 278 it talks about the Rubik's Cube solution record being around 20 seconds. In 2003,the World Championship was held in Toronto.The winner was able to set a new record at around 16 seconds. This year,2007 a Canadian Championship was held. The winner did it with an average of 14.21 seconds.including one solving under 10 seconds.One solver managed to solve it in 4 minutes and 54 seconds...blindfolded.
On page 117,the 15 Puzzle is said to have been invented by Sam Loyd who could not obtain a patent. In 2006,Jerry Slocum published a magnificient book on this puzzle.In it you will see who the real inventer was,and how Sam Loyd fooled everyone about it for 115 years. It was actually invented by Matthias J. Rice in 1879,and was originally called the Gem Puzzle.This book does a marvelous job of researching the history of this puzzle.(See my review,June 6,2006.) Mr Slocum has also recently published another excellent book on Tangrams which I also reviewed on Jan 6,2004.He has written several other books on Puzzles,has the world's largest puzzle collection,and heads up the Slocum Puzzle Foundation and Museum in Beverly Hills,California.
The author has done a very good job of discussing Polyhedra,and has shown several in his book. I would like to point out the work done by Magnus Wenninger,who is the world's expert on constructing Polyhedron Models. He has written an excellent book on the subject as well. He has a web site showing many dozens of his models. Just search the net under Mangus Wenninger .If you enjoy these models,it will blow you away. You can even purchase them at extremely reasonable prices. I first became aware of him through someone who constructs similar models.He takes a different approach,and builds his using balls and sticks. They are simply delightful and remind me of the illustration of the molecule at the top of the cover of this book.
Just to keep things interesting,there are many puzzles included throughout the book. If you have been interested in this sort of thing ,you'll have encountered many of them over the years. If Mathematical Recreations is new to you;this book is a wonderful introduction to it all.
What more can I say? If you're into Mathemtical Recreations,Mathematics in general and Puzzles of all types ;you are going to love this book and want a copy.
I have been searching for the name to describe someone who is interested in solving puzzles. The best I have been able to find so far are; METAGROBOLOGIST and OMNIHEURIST. if you know of any others ,I would be pleased to hear from you.

Thank you David,it's a great book!

It is on my essential reference shelf.......2005-11-29

I enjoy reading mathematical dictionaries. Whether I read it from cover to cover or scattershot style, I always learn something new. In this dictionary, I learned about the "Seventeen or Bust" distributed computing project, where the goal of the project is to check the remaining seventeen possibilities to be the smallest Sierpinski number. I also was reminded of many other mathematical facts that I have encountered sometime in the past.
The manuscripts that I receive as co-editor of Journal of Recreational Mathematics contain a wide variety of mathematical ideas. To handle them all, it is necessary to keep a mathematical dictionary handy. Since this book is well written and has over 1,800 entries, I have placed it on my essential reference shelf.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

Everything you wanted to know about mathematics and far more.......2005-05-03

From over 300 references, David Darling has compiled what I, a non-mathematician, consider to be an excellent encyclopedia of mathematics. There are over 1800 entries. There are simple definitions, more in-depth explanations, graphs and many photos. He illustrates well the application and appearance of many abstract mathematical concepts in the real world of art, architecture, etc.

In addition to the hundreds of 'pure' mathematical references, he also includes many entries that are fun for everyone. These entries include puzzles, games and tricks.

I enjoyed the background and historical information included in the biographies of the many mathematicians covered. Historical information about concepts and values, e.g. pi, is also included, such as the time Indiana almost voted to round pi off to 3.2!

This book would be an excellent library builder. It is hard to read straight through - I tried it and failed - but as reference and reading here and there it is great. It is good enough that I want to find his other references and check them out as well.

Average customer rating:

Got exactly what my kid wanted
A great book for flute beginners

Abracadabra Flute (Instrumental Music)
Malcolm Pollock
Manufacturer: A & C Black Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Beginners Book for the Flute, Part I
Amsco Flute Fingering Chart (Amsco Fingering Charts)

ASIN: 0713660449

Customer Reviews:

Got exactly what my kid wanted.......2006-09-15

My kid has been using the book with no complain. It's exactly what the teacher wanted.

A great book for flute beginners.......2005-10-23

A lot of nice and popular tunes which definitely keep the children's interest. New notes are introduced step by step with clear and simple illustration. Large music notes are printed for easy reading. There is a seperate book for piano accompaniment which makes it possible for beginners to learn to play with others even at an early stage.

Average customer rating:

The Abracadabra Kid Rate
Not just for kids
THE MAGIC OF BECOMING A WRITER
CHARMING, WITTY, and MAGICAL... THE ABRACADABRA KID
A writer's life.

The Abracadabra Kid: A Writer's Life
Sid Fleischman
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Knots in My Yo-Yo String
The Moon and I
Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life
Looking Back: A Book of Memories
How I Came To Be A Writer

ASIN: 0688158552

Amazon.com

Sid Fleischman, who started out life as a magician, has pulled off a truly magical feat with Abracadabra Kid; he has crafted a captivating and instructive book for kids about what it is like to be a writer. A prolific author and the winner of the Newbery Medal in 1987 for The Whipping Boy, Fleischman tells in engaging brisk style how he worked his way from boy magician to Hollywood scriptwriter to award-winning writer. His experiences and his dozen tips all combine to provide useful and inspiring fodder for aspiring young writers.

Book Description

The man with the spats rolled up his sleeves and proceeded to pluck a polished red billiard ball out of thin air. Presto! It vanished. Abracadabra! It reappeared. It turned white. it blushed red again. VoiIá! Suddenly there were four billiard balls between this amazing man's fingers.

I was stunned. All of this was happening right under my nose. And there was more. He flipped the deck into falling waterfalls of cards, spun them into fans, and thrust a sword through a shower of cards to impale the seven of diamonds -- selected a moment before.

I was dazzled. The moment he finished his act and ushered us gawkers back onto the sidewalk, I knew what I wanted to be. Someone else could be president of the United States.

I wanted to be a magician.

Customer Reviews:

The Abracadabra Kid Rate.......2003-01-06

This book shows basically all of Sid Fleischman's career life. This is from when he was a boy to now. In his first career he wanted to be a magician, and that's what this book is mainly about.

Not just for kids.......2001-08-16

I was surprised to see that a reviewer called this a book that could teach kids how to write. Of course it can, but it can teach *anyone* of any age how to be a better writer. Sid Fleischman's sweet, gentle humor shines through on every page. His advice to aspiring magicians, authors, parents, human beings in general is so sound and so commonsensical that at first it seems simplistic. It isn't. Nothing he advises is obvious; it's just that he expresses it so well and it makes so much sense that his words slip into your work and make it, and you, better.

THE MAGIC OF BECOMING A WRITER.......2001-08-13

Do you want to become a writer? Here's how. First become a magician, then travel the high seas, drop into a reporter's job and start having a family. Once done write a few screen plays and use your kids to critique your work. Does the above sound unbelievable? Yes indeed, except that it is true. Sid Fleischman did live such a life and now is sharing it with his fans.

You will enjoy this entertaining autobiography of one of america's famous children's authors. Sid's life is a fantasy of adventure and excitement as you see how he becomes an author. It was not intentional and took a long time but it was worth it in the end.

Enjoy his life story filled with unexpected escapades and happenings over his illustrious career. He share with us his family and their crazyness and keeps us entertained. You will enjoy his life and his telling of how his characters were born.

CHARMING, WITTY, and MAGICAL... THE ABRACADABRA KID.......2000-03-10

CHARMING, WITTY, and MAGICAL... THE ABRACADABRA KID, A WRITERS LIFE

Newbery award winner, Sid Fleischman is surprised that he grew up to be a writer. " I had a childhood much like everyone else's," he writes. " What went wrong?" Sid Fleischman had a childhood that was not so typical after all. He grew up during the Great Depression with his best friend, named Buddy. Born to Russian immigrant parents, Sid enjoyed life with his three siblings. In fifth grade Sid decided to become a magician much to his fathers dislike. He taught himself magic tricks from library books and became known in his hometown of San Diego, as the Abracadabra Kid. Read and feel Sid's sadness as he tells you about the horrors of battle during World War II. Serving his country in the U.S. Navy, he finds good in everything. Sid loved to fish and spend time with his Spanish girlfriend any time he could, while off duty in the Navy. Sid Fleischman's writing career began after the war with an unsuccessful 250-page mystery. Working hard to correct and rewrite his mystery paid off with a winner. And thus began his writing career. Travel with Sid as he retells his charming life's story, in the Abracadabra Kid. Enjoy his wit and ups and downs of his successful life.

A writer's life........1999-02-02

Sid Fleischman started out a child magician. His first book was a book of magic tricks, but since then he's written screen plays and several children's books, and even been the recipient of the prestigious Newbery Award for "The Whipping Boy," 1987. Sid's son Paul has also broken into the world of children's writing and written award winning books of his own, "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices," 1989 among others. The "Abracadabra Kid" is an amusing autobiography written in a direct way, putting free speech on paper. Mostly it's a life story, but Fleischman does offer advice to aspiring authors. A lot of his growth as a writer has been in learning to develop plot. "Daily life doesn't often help. It rarely delivers us three acts ready to write. The author needs to rearrange the furniture, putting random story elements in some sort of dramatic alignment (p. 82)." That was chapter 19. By chapter 43, the final chapter, Fleischman writes, "Now I can sit at my desk without an idea in my head and, like a palming trick, produce a rough plot. I suppose that skill is one of the marks of a professional (p.194)." Sid Fleischman has learned a lot throughout his life as a magician, in the navy, as a newspaper reporter, and fiction writer. He shares his memories, encounters, photographs and writer's wisdom in this humorous autobiography. At least he didn't embrace the "wit Fred Allen who didn't know why anyone would spend a year or two writing a novel when you can easily buy one for a few dollars (p. 83)."

Average customer rating:

Shari Lewis Presents Abracadabra

Manufacturer: Pharos Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 034531655X

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