[.ca] Rogets Descriptive Word Finder (ISBN 1582971706)

Of limited use to writers:
For people fond of words and language, this is a fun book for browsing, no doubt. But for writers looking to write more descriptively, this book is not the best choice and for some writers, may even be a poor choice. For one thing, nearly half the words in this book are *very* obscure, polysyllabic words that writers are probably better off avoiding. The words may impress but most readers won't know them. For another, this book is all adjectives. That in itself is not a bad thing, but many writers also need specific verbs as well. Using this book, one could be inclined to modify a verb with an adjective. No matter how well-chosen the adjective, this leads to wordiness. Why use "walked slowly" if "ambled" is the more specific (and better) choice? You'll get far more use from books like Rodale's "The Synonym Finder" and Random House's "Word Menu." McCutcheon's "Roget's Super Thesaurus" is less comprehensive but still a decent book to have on your shelf. This is a good book for those who enjoy unusual words and who enjoy language for its own sake. Writers looking for books that help them improve their writing should look elsewhere.

Over five hundred entries:
Roget's Descriptive Word Finder blends a dictionary and thesaurus devoted exclusively to adjectives, offering thousands of descriptions for people, places and things and presenting a theme organization which brings related words together. There are over five hundred entries which are designed to appeal both as quick references and as browsing material.

Finding the right adjective:
I am quite sure that almost anyone, who has ever taken an English course in high school or college, had to purchase at least one copy of Roget_s Thesaurus. I never knew, until recently, the derivation of the term _thesaurus._ Apparently the term had been derived from the post-medieval version of Latin, and it basically means treasure or a storehouse. We immediately associate the term thesaurus with Roget, whose full name was Peter Mark Roget. This brilliant individual was a medical doctor, philologist, scientist and lexicographer, and the first to create a thesaurus of English Words and Phrases. Quite interesting, the first Thesaurus Dr. Roger had drawn up was in 1805 for his own personal use. Only after 47 years when he was 73 did he reveal this gem that to many individuals is the most important book ever written along with the Bible and Webster_s dictionary. Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer, author of more than twenty- five books, and who holds a Ph.D. in archaeology, a M.S. in linguistics, a B.S. in physical education, and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, has put together a book containing thousands of words for describing people, places and things with adjectives. As mentioned in the introduction to her book entitled, Roget_s Descriptive Word Finder-A Dictionary/Thesaurus of Adjectives _it is a combination dictionary and thesaurus exclusively for adjectives and adverbs._ The presentation is in the form of a detailed thematic scheme, providing a comprehensive reference on adjectives and adverbs for writers.As compared to a dictionary that places relating words apart in their alphabetical scheme of things, the human mind puts them together in categories. This book mirrors, to some extent, the human mind, in that it contains 572 easily understood categories. This book will invariably prove to be a godsend when you are at a loss for the right word that accurately describes something, someone or some place. As a thematic dictionary, the book focuses on adjectives and adverbs that aid the writer in vividly painting a more accurate picture of what he or she is trying to convey. As an example, suppose you wish to describe a room as being dark, however, you realize that _dark_ is not the most evocative word. You certainly do not want to resort to clichés, and thus you look up the term _darkness_ in Dr. Kipfer_s descriptive word finder. You will notice you have a choice of forty- four different terms. Perhaps, the room is gloomy, lightless, obscure, or you want to use the phrase _shrouded in darkness._ Although this word finder should not be considered as a replacement for Roget_s Thesaurus, it nevertheless deserves a place on a writer_s bookshelf as another invaluable reference tool.

Don't Let the Word Thesaurus Scare You Off:
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered This is a writer's aid that works When Microsoft Word's Thesaurus doesn't cut it. This Roget's will work to an author's advantage often enough to encourage her to keep going back to it. Kipfer reminds us that her book works much like the human brain, by categorizing. She's right, of course.Because we memorize the alphabet when we are young, we think we are naturally alphabetical animals. We are wrong. We had to learn specific skills for using a dictionary or putting a Rolodex into order, but we group and classify the entire world rather naturally. I found that one of the most useful ways use Kipfer's combination dictionary and thesaurus is look up a word in my old thesaurus and then cross-reference what I found there to this new one. If you look up "receding" in a thesaurus and find "retrogression," you could go to Kipfer's book and find other entries that were, indeed, in your thesaurus, but you'll also find "crablike." That certainly suggests a simile better than another Latinate word like "reflex" or "retrograde." I also was in awe of Kipfer's approach to categorizing in her addendum. She calls it a "Quick Word Finder". It uses very broad categories like Appealing-Unappealing. There one finds everything from the mundane (affluent, alluring, yummy) to the really off-beat (fiddle-footed and Circean.) (Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her newly released Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered has won three.)