The Superior Person's Second Book of Weird and Wondrous Words

I bought Peter Bowler's first "Superior Person's Little Book of Words" years ago, and read it so often that it fell apart. I bought another. Then came newer editions. Of all the "word books" to emerge in recent years ( and I've read many of them) this is written with the most wit and style. You might read through his book once, then you'll keep going back anytime you want a smile or a laugh. Not only does he love interesting and unusual words, he's damned funny writing about them, with hilarious examples of using them. I pray that this man keeps exploring the riches of our language, and writing about them!

I've read this book cover to cover and often use it for reference, so I obviously do like it very much. In fact, it's wonderful for casually spicing your next letter, story, or term paper with one or two words that you KNOW the reader will have to look up. It's also better than a dictionary because Bowler's "definitions" describe how each word is used conversationally, not just what it means. Furthermore, the words offered are good ones, neither too onerable nor too simple.

My only problem with this book is that for what it is, it's very overpriced. I hate to be a cheapskate, but for what you get, this should at most be $8. After all, it should also be indexed in the back to guide you to the "superior" words from the basic word or thought the reader is looking for. It's nice to learn that "Numinous" means "divine," for example, but why not list the word "divine" in an index with pages on which related words - like Numinous - appear? That would make it much easier to do the previously-mentioned "spicing."

So...I suggest you get the best of both worlds. Buy the book, because it's fun and educational and can make you look smarter, but buy it Used from one of the Amazon partner stores for the lower price that it deserves.

* An emotional state in which things appear to be more beautiful than they really are.

I learned a lot from this wonderful book, which was a well-considered Christmas gift from my extremely exoptable best friend. One thing I learned is that I am rather devoted to gynotikolobomassophilia, as long as it is with the right person, of course! Unfortunately, on the down side, I occasionally suffer from bouts of onychophagy when under stress. (Sometimes I bite my nails.)

This book is an absolute treasure trove of exotic vocabulary. Prior to reading this book, I knew what maybe ten percent of these words meant. To say that I have been enlightened and broadened is somewhat of an understatement. I did not know, for instance, that "fabiform" means "bean-shaped." Likewise I was surprised to discover that "interbastation," which sounds positively naughty, actually means "quilting."

Also amusing to me is the discussion of the typeface, a normally boring affair. Perhaps one reason I liked this book so much is because it is set in Galliard, "a type of solid weight, it possesses authentic sparkle that is lacking in most current Garamonds."

This is a great book. The entries are universally witty and obscure, and will be sure to please the bibliophile in your life. I could not recommend this book more highly.

Bowler has compiled another interesting collection of words, with amusing commentary on them. While there is some repetition of common-root words (e.g., morology, morosis), and not all of these words seem particularly arcane (e.g., natatorium, zeitgeist), this book would be of use to the RUPTUARY aspiring to TAPINOSIS, and enjoyable for the rest of us.