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[[Category:Reference|*]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Hugh Jefferies1394159544|title=Great Britain Concise Catalogue 2016Recycling for Dummies|author=Sarah Winkler

|genre=ReferenceLifestyle|summary=It's difficult to believe that it's the 30th anniversary Recycling one ton of the first publication plastic can save up to 16.3 barrels of ''Great Britain Concise'', but this is the thirty-first edition, with just under 500 pages and over three and a half thousand illustrationsoil. It feels almost painful to look back to the days when the choice was between the ''Collect British Stamps '' series which never pretended (or pretends) to be more than a checklist (but got many people off to a sound start - myself included) and the specialised series, which is beyond the purse Recycling one ton of many amateur collectorspaper can save 17 trees from being cut down. ''Great Britain Concise'' sits comfortably between the two extremes with an affordable cover price.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0852599722</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Robert Kershaw|title= 24 Hours at the Somme|rating= 5|genre= Reference|summary=''They came past one by one...walking lumps of clayIf you send an apple core to landfill, with torn clothing, hollow cheeks it will take between 6 months and sunken eyes2 years to decompose...There was a dreadful weariness, but a wildness burning in their fevered eyes, showing what this appalling hand A glass bottle will take up to hand fighting had cost them1 million years. Utterly unforgivable for me...''

So goes the description As a just-post-WWII baby, I faced a dilemma: reducing, reusing and recycling is part of the men, the my DNA. NEVER throw away anything that might ''ghosts,possibly'' at come in handy now or in the end of the first day of future. NEVER buy anything if you can cobble together something that would serve the Sommepurpose. July 1 2016 will mark 100 years since this most bloody of battles took place. It was supposed to Almost everything can be used one more time and any purchase must pass the optimistic test of 'Big PushIs this absolutely essential?' that would end On the Great Warother hand, but by sunset I suspected I was guilty of wishcycling: assuming that something must be recyclable (toothpaste tubes - I'm looking at you) and dropping it in the first day the British casualties numbered 57,470kerbside bin. The battle would rage until November that year Yes, with I could go searching on the total number of casualties on all sides exceeding one millioninternet - and get conflicting advice - but what I needed was a recycling bible.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0753555476</amazonuk>s

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=David Crystal1913750353|title=The Oxford Dictionary Britannica's Word of Original Shakespearean Pronunciationthe Day|author=Patrick Kelly, Renee Kelly and Sue Macy

|summary=Language changesSo, not only in you've finished writing your book and you think the way hard work is all done? You're convinced that all you need to do now is get itpublished and the money will start rolling in? Wrong and wrong again. You presumably wrote the book because you wanted to - and you had a talent for delivering the written word. You knew your subject back to front. Now you's writtenre going to have to get to grips with the book supply chain, which even parts of the publishing industry believe to be wrong but also in the way that it's too difficult to change and no one wants to be the first to try. Then, when you ''pronouncedfinally''. I've seen changes over my lifetime and even more substantial changes have occurred in the four hundred years since Shakespeare died. For someone watching or reading a play copy of the differences are not usually material: we can generally understand what is being saidbook in your hands, but occasionally weyou're going to miss jokes which rely on a certain pronunciation, or the fine nuances of what is being said. Whathave to work out how to sell it - because it ''s required is a dictionary of the original pronunciation and that's exactly what David Crystal has provided. I'm only surprised that it's taken so long for such a book going to be down to appearyou.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199668426</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author= Andrew DicksonFrederic Gros|title= Worlds ElsewhereA Philosophy of Walking|rating= 45|genre= ReferencePolitics and Society|summary=From I confess I picked this one up from the sixteenthlibrary in my pre-century Baltic lockdown forage of random stuff. Now I have to go out an buy my own copy so that I can turn down the American Revolution, from colonial India pages I have marked and return to its varying wisdom when I need to the skyscrapers of modern-day Shanghai, Shakespeare's plays appear at the most fascinating of times . Some books draw you in the most unexpected of placesslowly. But what is it about Shakespeare – a man who never once left England, which has made him an icon across This one had me in the globe? Travelling across four continents, six countries and 400 yearsfirst two pages, wherein Gros explains why ''Worlds Elsewherewalking is not a sport'' attempts to understand Shakespeare in his role as an international phenomenon.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0099578956</amazonuk>1781688370

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Graeme Donald1788037812|title=Words The Fraternity of a Featherthe Estranged: The Fight for Homosexual Rights in England, 1891-1908|author=Brian Anderson|rating=45|genre=ReferenceBiography|summary= Words of Originally passed in 1885, the law that had made homosexual relations a Feathercrime remained in place for 82 years. The title alone suggests an engaging read about languageBut during this time, restrictions on same-sex relationships did not go unchallenged. Between 1891 and 1908, three books on the book certainly deliversnature of homosexuality appeared. It pairs seemingly unrelated words, digs up their etymological roots They were written by two homosexual men: Edward Carpenter and reveals their common ancestry. The English languageJohn Addington Symonds, of course, provides rich pickings indeed for a book of this type and it is fascinating to see as well as the hidden meaning behind common and not-so-common words. Some connections are fairly obvious once you read themheterosexual Havelock Ellis. For example, Exploring the link between ''grotto'' margins of society and ''grotesque'' is easy to grasp: studying homosexuality was common on the word ''grotesque'' derives from unpleasant figures depicted European Continent, but barely talked about in murals in Ancient Roman ''grottoes''. Other connections are just extraordinarythe UK, like so the so-crazy-you-couldn't-make-it-up connection between ''furnace'' and ''fornicate''. These two words date back publications of these men were hugely significant – contributing to Ancient Rome when prostitutes took over the city's abandoned baking domes. And some connections are more than a little tenuous, seemingly just a collection scientific understanding of words banded togetherhomosexuality, as is the case with the ''insult'' and ''salmon'' pairing. One of my personal favourites: beginning the Italian word ''schiavo'' struggle for ''slave'' was used recognition and equality, leading to summon or dismiss a slave; this word became corrupted to ''ciao'', a word the more wellmilestone legalisation of same-heeled among us use instead of ''goodbye''sex relationships in 1967.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178418814X</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Stephen Hickman1912242052|title= The Art of Stephen Hickman|rating= 4|genre= Fantasy|summary= Stephen Hickman has been a well known artist in the Fantasy and Science Fiction worlds for a number of years now, having created covers O Joy for authors such as Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, and Larry Niven. His paintings are vibrant, kinetic, sometimes scary, often sensual, traditional, and yet modern. ''The Art of Stephen Hickman'' collects hundreds of these paintings, and the artist himself provides an intriguing commentary alongside which offers a fascinating glimpse into the artistic process. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783298456</amazonuk>}}{{newreviewme!|author=John Sutherland|title=How Good is Your Grammar?Keir Davidson

|genre=ReferenceArt|summary=In the preface of ''How Good is Your Grammar?Oh Joy for me!'' gives Coleridge credit for being '', John Sutherland suggests that the abolition of grammar schools in the 1960s coincided with a general decline in grammatical standards in first person to walk the decades that followed. In our modern age of 'text-speak' and emoticonsmountains alone, the need not because he had to for grammatical correctness seems to be rather low on our agendawork, maybe even regarded as irrelevant by some. Is this gradual erosion an inevitable part of the evolution of communicationa miner, quarryman, shepherd or will certain rules always remain an intrinsic part of the fabric of language? Only time will tellpack-horse driver, but because he wanted to for those wishing to brush up on pleasure and adventure. His rapturous encounters with their grammar skillsnatural beauty, and its literary consequences, Sutherland has compiled 100 quiz questions that he claims are changed our view of the world''ultimate test'' for his readers.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780722575</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Lucy Adlington1072549271|title= Stitches in Time: The Story Simple Act of the Clothes We Wear Self-Publishing With Amazon: A Simple Step by Step Guide|author=Georgianne Landy-Kordis|rating=4.5|genre= HistoryBusiness and Finance|summary=I frequently meet authors who are struggling to be published by the traditional houses, but when I suggest self-publishing they explain that they don't have the big bucks required to go down that road with Author Solutions or Matador or their like. I then ask if they'Stitches in Time'' ve considered Kindle and the answer is a lively history of clothing. Riffling through the wardrobes of years gone by, costume historian Lucy Adlington reveals the stories underneath the clothes we wear in this tour of the history of fashioninevitably, ranging from ancient times that they wouldn't know where to the present daystart. I can empathise with that. With beautiful illustrations and full colour photographs Despite having used a computer for about thirty years, running most of my life ''Stitches in Timeand'' is a reminder of how the way we dress is inextricably bound up with considerations of aestheticswebsite online, sex, gender, class and lifestyle – and offers the reader the chance I'm still nervous when it comes to starting something new. I like someone to appreciate hold my hand as I go through it for the extraordinary qualities first time. That was why I was very interested when ''The Simple Act of the clothing we wear, and the rich history it has ledSelf Publishing With Amazon'' came across my desk... |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847947263</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Jody RevensonHigashida_Fall|title= Harry PotterFall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight: The Character VaultA Young Man's Voice From the Silence of Autism|author=Naoki Higashida and David Mitchell|rating= 45|genre= EntertainmentHome and Family|summary= Unlock new information about your favourite characters from Naoki Higashida was only 13 years old when he wrote the Harry Potter film seriesinternational best-seller ''The Reason I Jump''. This coffeetable The book profiles was popular because it gave a rare glimpse into the workings of the goodautistic mind, badas told from the unique perspective of a teenager with non-verbal autism. Naoki communicates by using an alphabet grid, or by tracing letters on the palm of a transcriber. Despite this slow and everything laborious method of writing, he has published several books in between – from Harry his native Japan and Ron manages to give public presentations to Voldemort and Umbridgeraise awareness of his condition. Hugely detailed and filled with beautiful illustrations, images, Fall Down 7 Times Get up 8 reintroduces us to Naoki as a young adult in his 20s and never before seen glimpses into the design process – this explains how his perspectives on life have changed since writing his first book will answer your questions about character design in the Harry Potter series.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0062407449</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Steve SilbermanJenkins_100|title=Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter about People Who Think DifferentlyBritain's 100 Best Railway Stations|author=Simon Jenkins

|genre=ReferenceArt|summary=''Neurotribes'' is is an ambitious book. It aims to challenge In the widelymid-held perception that autism is a disabilitytwentieth century, or a developmental delay. One of my favourite quotes from the book is this: ''One way railway was something which harked back to understand neurodiversity is to think the Victorian age with trains being supplanted by cars and planes, but steam was being replaced by oil, even then and in terms of 'human operating systems' instead of diagnostic labels... Just because a computer is not running Windows doesn't mean that it's broken.'' This refreshing approach underpins the whole of this groundtwenty-first-breaking work, which century oil is essentially a potted-history of autism from the distant past giving way to the present dayelectricity. It will fascinate 's cleaner, more environmentally friendly and enlighten anyone with an interest in the subjectstations which we'd all rushed through as quickly as possible, or who is affectedkeen to escape their grime, directly or indirectlywere restored and became places to be admired, by the conditionpossibly even lingered in. For autistic people, this book represents their roots; their cultural history, and illustrates how far the autistic community have come over the past few decadesSimon Jenkins has chosen his hundred best railway stations.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1760113638</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Mary McDonagh MurphyTaylor_Owls|title= Scout, Atticus and Boo|rating= 4.5|genre= Reference|summary= First published in 1960, ‘’To Kill a Mockingbird’’ is not only a beloved classic, but a touchstone in literary and social history. ‘’Scout, Atticus & Boo’’ commorates the fifty years plus since ‘’To Kill a Mockingbird’’ was published, and discusses its impact with contributions from Oprah Winfrey, James Patterson, Adriana Trigiani and Wally Lamb amongst others – particularly Alice Finch Lee, Harper Lee’s older sister who passed away last year. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>178475305X</amazonuk>}}{{newreviewOwls: A Guide to Every Species|author=Stanley Gibbons|title=Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2015Marianne Taylor

|genre=ReferenceAnimals and Wildlife|summary=The thirtieth edition I feel like I am being watched. A huge pair of the Stanley Gibbons Concise Stamp catalogue lives up to expectations once againpiercing orange eyes are staring right at me, locking me into their gaze. It's been extensively updated and prices have been revised in line In contrast with the current market, leading to thousands hardness of price increases (particularly in varietiesthe deep-amber eyes, errorssoft grey feathers fan out into the surrounding area, Machinsintricate, Post & Go stamps detailed and booklets), which will please you - or not - depending on whether you're a seller or a buyerbeautiful. It's pitched An enigma; harsh and gentle at that sector of the market which has outgrown ''Collect British Stamps''same time, but not yet graduated to the [[Stamps of owl is beckoning the World 2011 by Stanley Gibbons|Stamps of reader to turn the World series]]pages and take a closer look inside. The cover price of £34.95 is reasonable when you see the amount of work - and technology - which has gone into the creation of the book.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0852599447</amazonuk>

{{newreviewplainFrontpage|isbn=JVDK_ELO|title=National Geographic Kids Infopedia 2016Electric Light Orchestra: Song by Song|author=John Van der Kiste

|genre=ReferenceEntertainment|summary=Annuals. They are not what they used to be. As a childMy memories of pop music in the early sixties revolve around guitars and drums, I remember snuggling sometimes the piano with only occasional excursions into a chair with my 1983 “Crackerjack” annual strings and brass. Pop music rarely stands still and being completely immersed by it wasn't long before the factsbasic instruments were seen as constraints and The Beatles, storiesThe Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys began to experiment, jokes with other groups following where they led. Amongst these groups was The Move and their lead guitarist and activities insidesongwriter, Roy Wood. Maybe I'm getting old, but many of todayWood wanted to develop the group's annuals seem to be little sound by adding more than a few flimsy sheets instruments but was prevented from achieving what he wanted by cost limitations and because the rest of colouring paper and posters sandwiched inside a hard cover. If, as a parent, you are aching to buy your children something with a little more substance and quality, then the National Geographic Infopedia 2016 may be just what you are looking forgroup didn't really share his enthusiasm.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1426322445</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Hendrix_PBHell|title= David Paperbacks from Hell: A History of Horror Fiction from the '70s and Ben Crystal'80s|titleauthor= Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare DictionaryGrady Hendrix

|genre=ReferenceHorror|summary= David CrystalDemonic possession, renowned linguistmurderous babies, writer, editorman-eating moths… for these books, lecturer and broadcaster has collaborated with his son Benno plot was too ludicrous, Shakespearean actorno cover art too appalling, no evil too despicable. Now horror author, director Grady Hendrix risks his soul and producer his sanity (not to mention the reader's!) to create an eye catching, exquisitely detailed, carefully colour coded and incisive reference guide. It is extensive and meticulously researched- a fusion of relate the Crystals’ Shakespearean knowledgetrue, linguistic skill and theatrical enthusiasm. Lavishly illustrated by Kate Bellamy, who favours a bright, attractive primary colour palette, this dictionary is a treasure trove for any student untold story of Shakespeare. This would be a five star review but for a minor quibble- it is missing an index of characters which would have been useful for pupils assigned character studies as they could have cross referenced the explanatory entries with quotes or themes. It also only concentrates on Shakespeare’s twelve most performed plays so it is not an exhaustive treatment of his workfascinating and often forgotten era in publishing.|amazonuk=Read the synapse-shattering story summaries!<amazonukbr>0192737503See the horrific hand-painted cover imagery!</amazonukbr>}}{{newreviewplain|title=The Economist Style Guide: 11th Edition|rating=4And learn the true-life tales of the writers, artists, and publishers who gleefully violated every literary law but one – never be boring.5|genre=Reference|summary=If you don't ''write'' what you mean, how will people ''know'' what you mean?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781253129</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jen Green and Wesley RobinsBrowne_Many|title=Oceans in 30 SecondsThe Many Faces of Coincidence|author=Laurence Browne|rating=3.5

|summary=Oceans in 30 Seconds is the latest book in the innovative series from Ivy Press, which aims to give an informative and entertaining overview of a given subject in bite-sized chunks. Each given subject has its own two-page spread, Browne does not mislead with a concise description on the left, covering all this choice of the main points, and title; he does without a colourful illustration on doubt explore the right hand page, complete with extra snippets many faces of information. Each chapter also has a handy 3-second sum up, which further condenses the main idea of the chapter into a single sentencecoincidence.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178240239X</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Daniel Hahn1903385679|title=The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature100 Best Novels in Translation|author=Boyd Tonkin|rating=3.5

|summary=When I Consider, if you will, translated fiction. Some say it's impossible – that if a book was a child, some sixty so good in one tongue it could never survive being put into another. Samuel Beckett must have laboured over ever syllable and more years ago''Breath'', there were not many books for children orbut he could translate his own works, indeed, much money to buy what was availableand other equally complex pieces can cross borders. Forty years ago, when my daughter was It's a child there were more market that has actually doubled in sales volume between 2000 and the libraries were relatively well stocked2016 (thanks, ''Millennium Trilogy''). But Novels, in particular, in translation, are – as the last thirty years childrenintroduction here so smartly puts it – 's books have flourished. I'm no great fan a privileged means of passing border posts, a sort of [[J K Rowling's Harry Potter Books in Chronological Order|Harry Potter]] but even the most hardened cynic would have to admit universal passport issued by that Utopian state, the wizard has brought a lot Republic of children to reading - Letters''. We here at the 'Bag regularly try and give equal credit to enjoying it too. In the same period translator, without whom wewouldn've seen t be reading what we have in our hands. But all that said, do we really need one of those list books tackling ''difficult'' subjects become mainstream about the subject? I got given a book the other year detailing 1001 places to go to before I die, and the rise of young adult fictionI might even then have missed out a zero. From near-famine weIt would take as long as a fortnight've moved s holiday to feastwade through, but what we need now and even though this is guidancenot as long as your typical Bolano housebrick, it's not a short thing.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199695148</amazonuk>Should it take our time?

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Philip W ErringtonFry_Mythos|title=J.K. RowlingMythos: A Bibliography 1997 - 2013Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece|author=Stephen Fry

|summary=Just occasionally it's necessary to begin by saying what The Greek Myths are, arguably, the greatest stories ever told. So old and influential they cast a book ''isn't'': ''J.K. Rowling: A Bibliography 1997 - 2013'' isn't the latest book ''by'' J K Rowling - she had no part in the writing of the book shadow over western tales and doesn't profit from it financially. It isn'ttraditions, actually, ''about'' J K Rowling other than indirectlyyet remain relatable and readable millennia later. It ''is'' a book about her writingsHere comedian, bibliographic details of each edition of ALL her booksactor, pamphletstelevision presenter, actor and contributions author Stephen Fry brings his considerable talent to published works. It is ''not'' these special stories and recreates them with a book for the reader who loved the [[J K Rowling's Harry Potter Books in Chronological Order|Harry Potter books]] wit, warmth and wishes humanity that Rowling had written many more, but rather brings them into the definitive text about modern age whilst still giving the books which will be consulted by scholars, book dealers honour and collectors, auction houses respect that such ancient and researchers. The most obvious comparison for me is [[Stamps of the World 2013 by Stanley Gibbons|Stamps of the World by Stanley Gibbons]]. It is of that classinfluential stories deserve.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849669740</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Kjartan PoskittMahnke_Lore|title=Everyday Maths for Grown-UpsThe World of Lore, Volume 1: Getting to Grips with the BasicsMonstrous Creatures|author=Aaron Mahnke|rating=4.5

|summary=We all need maths - or so it says Every country, every town, every village has a folktale – a story passed down through generations that often focuses on the back of ''Everyday Maths for Grown Ups'' dark and whilst you could unexplained. No matter how the modern world moves on, there''exist'' without s a still a basic knowledge, life part of everyone that is going vulnerable to a good tale. From ghosts to be so much easier if you can check receiptswerewolves, do by way of wendigos and elves, author Aaron Mahnke delivers the calculations for that spot of DIY or work out if reader legends from all over the 'bargain' youworld, whilst examining how they've been offered really is one. Kjartan Poskitt reckons that very few people are really confident with figuresbecome part of our collective imaginations, but hopes that he can offer some helpstill striking fear into the hearts of many of us today.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178243335X</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Michelle FinlayFowler_Forgotten|title=Everyday English for Grown-Ups: Getting to Grips with the Basics|rating=4|genre=Reference|summary=It can seem a long time since we learned the nuts and bolts of the English language when we were at school. At the time the niceties of colons and intricacies The Book of apostrophes weren't really that relevant to our lives and it's only when we miss out on a good job because our English isn't up to scratch or someone makes a scathing remark about our abuse of the language that we realise that we could do with an urgent and discreet brushup. Step forward ''Everyday English for Grown-ups'' - and it's aimed at native and non-native English speakers.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782433341</amazonuk>}}{{newreviewForgotten Authors|author=June Andrews|title=Dementia: The One-Stop Guide: Practical advice for families, professionals, and people living with dementia and Alzheimer's DiseaseChristopher Fowler

|summary=Worldwide there are probably as many as 44''Absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder''.4 million It makes people who suffer from dementia and many times that number of family, friends, carers and relatives who are affected by what is happening to the suffererthink you're dead.  There's no curetruth in that statement, you know, but there's a conundrum when it's not terminal and the symptoms (memory loss would seem applied to be the most commonauthors. Shakespeare is dead: Dickens is dead, but in some cases there are hallucinationswe haven't buried what they've written: that lives on until... when? Is it until fashion decrees that they should be no more? Or is it, sexual or verbal disinhibition, not being able to work things out, difficulty as in learning something new, finding your way about, or coping with the normal symptoms case of aging) affect everyone involved. If you talk to people who are aging then itsome children's not uncommon for them to say authors that they'd rather are on life support through licensing deals and astute marketing? Christopher Fowler has unearthed (exhumed?) ninety-nine authors who were once hugely popular, but whose works have cancer than dementia as you're unlikely to be an endless burden on other peopledisappeared, sometimes quite literally.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781251711</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Dee BlickAngell_Triang|title=The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book Tri- on a Shoestring Budgetang Collectables|author=Dave Angell|rating=3.5

|summary=I've always thought that [http://nanowrimo.org/ NANOWRIMO] is a brilliant idea. The nights are longer, A guide to the weather uninspiring: what better time to get trains produced by the first draft of your novel written with support Tri-ang company from a lot of other people who are all trying its inception until the company became Hornby. A very personal guide to do the same thing? There is a downside for reviewers though: far too many people think that this is the end collecting of their labours and the fledgling manuscript is uploaded onto Kindle and there's disappointment when the book is either not well received or doesn't sell - or sometimes both. Knowing which book it is that you have in you is a great start - but after that you need a structured plan of action and sound advice as to what you need to do to turn your work into a bestsellermodel trains.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910125040</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Julia Cresswell (Editor)Chase_Orchids|title=Little Oxford Dictionary The Book of Word Origins|rating=4|genre=Reference|summary=Derived from the ''Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins'', the Little Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins tells the stories behind a thousand words, divided into a Orchids: A life-size guide to six hundred themes from ''Adventure'' through to ''Writing'' by way of the rest of the alphabet. For each word within a theme we're told in which language the it originated and its original meaning - thus for ''Infant'' we find that it comes species from around the Latin ''in'' meaning ''not'' and ''fari'' for ''speaking''. The two parts put together tell of someone who has not yet reached legal majority rather than a child who has not yet learned the value of the word 'Why?' In Italian ''infante'' means ''youth'' as well as ''foot soldier''. From this came ''infanteria'', which English adopted as ''infantry'' in the sixteenth century.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199683638</amazonuk>}}{{newreviewworld|author=Elizabeth Knowles (Editor)|title=Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsMark Chase, Maarten Christenhusz and Tom Mirenda

|summary=I have known people to be just a little snooty about One in seven flowering plants on earth is an orchid: there are 26,000 species in 749 genera. They flourish in remarkable habitats such as deserts and the Arctic circle, in fact that I have had , all areas but the most inhospitable. There's a copy of the current edition wide range of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations on my bookshelf for over forty yearscolours, suggesting that it was a book for people who hadnshapes and scents: they't read re dramatic, delicate and ingenious in the original books. I long ago accepted ways that I would never have the time they've developed not just to read all the books I (might) want - or feel I ought - survive but to read and Ithrive. Tom Mirenda describes them as ''ve found the dictionary an invaluable work masters of reference manipulation'' and source of inspiration ''famous for half a century. Where else would you find over 20,000 quotations, covering centuries, every subject, with wit, wisdom lying and food for thought? Yes - I know theycheating their way to their many evolutionary successes''re probably all there on the internet - somewhere, but I've got yet his love of them in one volume on is as obvious as his respect for the insight they give us into the shelf in front of meprocesses which shaped our world. He hopes that understanding how that has come about will inspire us to conserve what we have.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199668701</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Patrick ScrivenorEdwards_Story|title=I Used to Know That: EnglishThe Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books (British Library Crime Classics)|author=Martin Edwards

|summary=I doubt that there can It's easy to be anything more unnerving than reviewing a book written confused by someone who is the various 'ages' of crime writing: if you have an expert interest in written English. Ithe genre you've even worried about that ll almost certainly have heard of the Golden Age of Crime, generally acknowledged as being the period between the first sentenceand second world wars. But 'Classic Crime' on the other hand extends the time frame at school I loved English Grammar either end and a good deal covers books published in the first half of it has stuckthe twentieth century. IThroughout my adult life, there'm conscious s been just one genre of being pedantic about mistakes other people make - but increasingly aware books which has fascinated me, and that there are gaps in my own knowledge which should be plugged. This book seemed like the ideal opportunity's crime, but so Icould hardly resist the chance of reading 'll confess that the subtitle 'Stuff You Forgot From SchoolThe Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books'' made me nervous I was going to be back to reading a school textbookparticularly as the author, Martin Edwards is an accomplished author within the crime genre and an acknowledged expert on the subject.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782432566</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Chris WaringDK_Childrens|title=I Used to Know That: MathsChildren's Illustrated Thesaurus|author=DK

|summary=Maths teacher Chris Waring starts this book with the basics and gradually works his (and our) way through to about the level One of GCSE. It's only 192 pages, so you can't expect it to be exhaustive but the great thing is that it isn't ''exhausting''. Waring explains concepts clearly and with humour but most importantly he shows why the subject valuable literary skills which children can learn is important and how it can be applied to life, covering such subjects as winning - or failing to win - the lottery and the chances of being dealt a royal flush at pokeruse reference books. It's not just the examples As a child every question which are new - itI began with 's a major improvement on the 'how do you will learn this because I'm telling you that you have to' approach which blighted the subject for so many of usspell...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782432558</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Orin Hargraves|title=It?'s Been Said Before: A Guide to the Use and Abuse of Cliches|rating=4|genre=Reference|summary=I don't usually start a review by telling you what a book would be answered with ''isn'tEXACTLY as it says in the dictionary''. This was fine, but in this case itthe family's important. This isnCollins Little Gem Dictionary didn't a light-hearted look at the subjectencourage exploration, such as we found in [[Cliches: Avoid Them Like not least because the Plague by Nigel Fountain]] font was small and which - laughing difficult to read. Fortunately, those times have now changed and blushing in equal measure - we shelved under 'trivia'reference book for children are now much more inviting. This Not every book will be shelved under 'reference': comes with a set of instructions but it's a rigorous look at worth studying the problem with the clichés divided not by subject matter, but grammatically and with an introduction ''How to each section which gives all the information you need to help in making judgements about your own writing. This isn..'t a book to ''amuse'' yousection, but to help you to improve your use of wordsnot least because similar systems are used in other reference books.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199315736</amazonuk>