
Do you cringe when a talking head pronounces “niche” as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with “and”? Do you think British spellings are more “civilised” than the American versions? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re myth-informed. In Origins of the Specious, word mavens Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman reveal why some of grammar’s best-known “rules” aren’t—and never were—rules at all. This playfully witty, rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony français, fake acronyms, and more. Here are some shockers: “They” was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way “you” is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose “he.” From the Queen’s English to street slang, this eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it.
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Here is the long-awaited, biggest guide ever, the absolute must-have for every fan, collector, library, and video-store browser. Included are over 2,000 Japanese animation films-from today's Pokémon, Tenchi Muyo, and Sailor Moon to the classic Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) and little-known artistic gems like the anime life of Mozart-with key personnel, running time, studio, alternative titles, cross references, critical comment, and sex/violence warnings. Illustrated and fully indexed.Jonathan Clements has translated over 70 anime and manga and was editor of Manga Max from 1998-2000. Helen McCarthy is former editor of Anime UK and Manga Mania and author of The Anime Movie Guide, Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, and, with Jonathan Clements, The Erotic Anime Movie Guide.[box]Also availableHayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese AnimationPB, $18.95, 1-880656-41-8 CUSA
Price : $25.00
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The doors of some of the worldâs best-hidden places and most secretive organizations have now been thrown wide open! Some of the names are familiar: Area 51, Yaleâs Skull and Bones, Opus Dei, the Esalen Institute. Others are more obscure, hidden by fate or purposeful deception, such as the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, the super-secure facility where Vice President Dick Cheney was secreted after the 9/11 attacks, and Germanyâs Wewelsburg Castle, which was intended to become the mythological centerpiece of the Nazi Regime. Readers can take an unprecedented look deep inside the off-the-map military installations and shadowy organizations that operate in the murkiest corners of our world.Â
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$12.63
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The first film featuring Charlie Chan, The House Without a Key, appeared in 1925. Forty-seven films and six Charlies later, the series still delights audiences. Charlie Chan connoisseurs cite a variety of reasons for the honorable detectives longevity and appeal, ranging from his wit and personality to the films fascinating casts that often included future celebrities. This encyclopedia contains over 1,900 entries for characters, actors, crew members, plot devices, and facts, as well as film summaries and Charlies famous aphorisms. Photographs accompany the text and the entries are arranged alphabetically for easy reference and access. Practically anything a fan of these films might want to know is thoroughly analyzed here.
Price : $39.95
$39.95
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The first questions a beginning lure collector usually asks are: 'What is it?'; 'What is it worth?'; and 'Who made it?' In order to provide these answers and facilitate the reader's understanding of antique fishing lures, the authors of this book have intentionally avoided lengthy pages of text. Instead, they have used excellent color photographs and a lifetime of knowledge and experience with fishing lures to create the most complete and convenient single volume available today: Fishing Lure Collectibles, An Encyclopedia of the Early Years, 1840 to 1940. This benchmark concept has proven its acceptance among its readers by becoming Collector Books' bestselling book on collectible fishing lures. That the tackle collecting hobby is difficult to learn is undeniable, and it is for this reason that these foremost experts prepared this helpful publication. As one of the three founders of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club and editor of its magazine, Dudley Murphy, along with noted lure collector Rick Edmisten, bring a combined total of over 75 years of advanced collecting experience to this book. 2007 values.
Price : $27.95
$27.95
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This comprehensive, easy-to-use book is the first published to cover milk glass that was mass produced in the United States since 1930. Patterns and shapes made by Fenton, Westmoreland, L.E. Smith, and Kemple are all featured in full-color photographs as well as vintage company catalogs and advertisements. This beautiful presentation will be a great addition to any glassware dealer's or collector's library. 2005 values.
Price : $21.40
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Offering a comprehensive view of the South's literary landscape, past and present, this volume of The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture celebrates the region's ever-flourishing literary culture and recognizes the ongoing evolution of the southern literary canon. As new writers draw upon and reshape previous traditions, southern literature has broadened and deepened its connections not just to the American literary mainstream but also to world literatures—a development thoughtfully explored in the essays here.Greatly expanding the content of the literature section in the original Encyclopedia, this volume includes 31 thematic essays addressing major genres of literature; theoretical categories, such as regionalism, the southern gothic, and agrarianism; and themes in southern writing, such as food, religion, and sexuality. Most striking is the fivefold increase in the number of biographical entries, which introduce southern novelists, playwrights, poets, and critics. Special attention is given to contemporary writers and other individuals who have not been widely covered in previous scholarship.
Price : $43.10
$43.10
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Battles and Leaders of the Civil War is recognized as the outstanding history of the War between the States to come out of the 19th century. THis series was originally conceived in 1883 by the editors of Century Company, who set out to provide an accurate, unbiased account of the war. It was authored by the commanders and their subordinates from both the Confederate and Union forces who actually fought, planned or were eyewitnesses to the events they describe therein. Volume 4 relates the events that led to the end of the war. It opens with a detailed description of the land and sea operations at the Battle of Charleston. Grant's Wilderness Campaign and Sherman's march to Atlanta are vividly portrayed. After mounting the final actions in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee, this volume depicts the closing naval operations, Sherman's march through the Confederacy and climaxes with Lee's surrender at Appomattox.
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Spanish is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world and a language of ever-increasing importance in the United States. In what will likely become the introduction to the history of the Spanish language, David Pharies clearly and concisely charts the evolution of Spanish from its Indo-European roots to its present form. An internationally recognized expert on the history and development of this language, Pharies brings to his subject a precise sense of what students of Spanish linguistics need to know.After introductory chapters on what it means to study the history of a language, the concept of linguistic change, and the nature of language families, Pharies traces the development of Spanish from its Latin roots, all with the minimum amount of technical language possible. In the core sections of the book, readers are treated to an engaging and remarkably succinct presentation of the genealogy and development of the language, including accounts of the structures and peculiarities of Latin, the historical and cultural events that deeply influenced the shaping of the language, the nature of Medieval Spanish, the language myths that have become attached to Spanish, and the development of the language beyond the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the Americas. Focusing on the most important facets of the language?s evolution, this compact work makes the history of Spanish accessible to anyone with a knowledge of Spanish and a readiness to grasp basic linguistic concepts.Available in both English and Spanish editions, A Brief History of the Spanish Language provides a truly outstanding introduction to the exciting story of one of the world?s great languages.
Price : $26.08
$26.08
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Dispelling myths, answering questions, and stimulating thoughtful avenues for further inquiry, this highly absorbing reference provides a wealth of specific information about over 200 North American Indian groups in Canada and the United States. Readers will easily access important historical and contemporary facts about everything from notable leaders and relations with non-natives to customs, dress, dwellings, weapons, government, and religion. This book is at once exhaustive and captivating, covering myriad aspects of a people spread across a continent. Divided into ten geographic areas for easy reference, this work illustrates each Native American group in careful detail. Listed alphabetically, starting with the tribal name, translation, origin, and definition, each entry includes significant facts about the group's location and population, as well as impressive accounts of the group's history and culture. Bringing entries up-to-date, Barry Pritzker also presents current information on each group's government, economy, legal status, and land holdings. Whether interpreting the term "tribe" (many traditional Native American groups were not tribes at all but more like extended families) or describing how a Shoshone woman served as a guide on the Lewis and Clark expedition, Pritzker always presents the material in a clear and lively manner. In light of past and ongoing injustices and the momentum of Indian and Inuit self-determination movements, an understanding of Native American cultures as well as their contributions to contemporary society becomes increasingly important. A magnificent resource, this book liberally provides the essential information necessary to better grasp the history and cultures of North American Indians.
Price : $41.20
$41.20
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