Staff Favorites

The Elements of Style, Third Edition

A masterpiece in the art of clear and concise writing, and an exemplar of the principles it explains.

This is the braille version of the timeless reference book. According to the St. Louis Dispatch, this "excellent book, which should go off to college with every freshman, is recognized as the best book of its kind we have." It should be the ". . . daily companion of anyone who writes for a living and, for that matter, anyone who writes at all" (Greensboro Daily New). "No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume" (The Boston Globe). Two volumes in braille.

The American Heritage College Dictionary

Despite the word "college" in the title, The American Heritage College Dictionary is the best choice for anyone who's looking for a substantive desk dictionary but isn't quite ready to commit to the space an unabridged takes. With more than 200,000 definitions and biographical and geographical notes, along with crisp photos, drawings, and diagrams in every margin, The American Heritage College Dictionary packs a lot into its 1664 pages. Under "lock," for example, you'll find both a diagram explaining how your key fits into and opens one, as well as a photo of boats passing through a river lock in Heidelberg, Germany. The actual definition section for "lock" shows 5 uses as a noun and 14 as a verb, followed by the idioms "lock horns" and "lock, stock, and barrel," and an etymological note that the word comes from the Old English loc, meaning "bolt or bar." As with all of the American Heritage dictionaries, The American Heritage College Dictionary boasts clear typography, clean design, and terrific usage notes based on the opinions of its 173-member usage panel, a group of noted North American writers and scholars, including Daniel Boorstin, June Jordan, Calvin Trillin, and Eudora Welty. These usage notes (for example, "brunette" seldom refers to men, because "-ette" is too closely associated with the feminine gender), along with regional notes (in the Northern U.S., a "bubbler" is a drinking fountain) and word histories, are a valuable addition to the standard definitions and synonyms one would expect from a college dictionary, and they are what make The American Heritage College Dictionary stand out from the crowd. --Rebecca A. Staffel

Our best-selling dictionary. With more than 200,000 clear definitions; over 20,000 new words; more than 2,500 illustrations; a style manual; 400 usage notes; regionalisms; an Appendix of Indo-European Roots; and biographical and geographic entries.

Webster's New World College Dictionary (Webster's New World)

Is "legislator" pronounced with an "er" sound at the end or an "or"? Is the Jewish festival of lights spelled "Chanukah," "Hanuka," or "Hanukkah"? With Webster's New World College Dictionary, which promises to describe rather than prescribe, you can take your pick. The dictionary includes more than 150,000 entries, including brief biographical and geographical notes and useful drawings and diagrams (depictions of four kinds of buoys, for example). The guide to pronunciation and symbols is given on every other page, handy for those who don't like to refer to the inside cover each time they forget how to pronounce the sound of the schwa (of course, the guides on the inside and front covers are more extensive). Starred words refer to Americanisms, which number more than 11,000, such as "hornswoggle" and "Hopi" and "kitchenette." The definitions themselves are clear and simple and seldom have you scurrying to another page for a definition of the definition. Easy to use and understand, Webster's New World College Dictionary is a fine addition to any high school or college student's desk set. --Rebecca A. Staffel

Ten years of lexicographic research culminates to form the latest edition of the renowned Webster's New World(r) College Dictionary. This fourth edition combines the most up-to-date information about our language and our world to present a completely revised, updated and expanded edition for this age of instant global communication. This authoritative reference now includes 5,000 new entries and the only four-color atlas offered by a dictionary of this size. New words, new Americanisms, and new biographical and geographical entries are fully integrated into the single alphabetical listing. Thousands of new uses and meanings have been added to many existing entries. The expanded reference section provides easy access to geographical, historical, and other encyclopedic information. Unsurpassed for nearly half a century for its reliability, clarity, and precision, Webster's New World(r) College Dictionary provides the most accurate and current information available anywhere. Millions of users worldwide value this unique combination of features, found in no other dictionary:
* clear, readable definitions that provide instant understanding
* thousands of examples of current word usage
* more than 160,000 entries and over 800 illustrations, biographical photographs, and maps
* page and text redesigned for even greater readability
* the official dictionary of the Associated Press

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English

Written by Patricia T. O'Conner, an editor at the New York Times Book Review, Woe Is I gives lighthearted, witty instruction on the subject most of us dreaded in school--grammar. Discussion is brief and concise, and much more engaging than the grammar books you may remember. With chapter titles such as "Woe is I: Therapy for Pronoun Anxiety," "Your Truly: The Possessive and the Possessed," "Verbal Abuse: Words on the Endangered List," "Comma Sutra; The Joy of Punctuation," and "Death Sentence: Do Cliches Deserve to Die?," O'Conner proves that even grammar can make for entertaining reading.

Her commonsense approach is as entertaining as it is instructive. O'Conner has written a nifty guidebook to modern grammar that affectionately elbows the reader on every page.

10,000 Ideas for Term Papers, Projects, Reports, and Speeches (10,000 Ideas for Term Papers, Projects, Reports and Speeches)

"The design of haystacks: conventions, climates and aesthetics"; "Theories on animal extinction during the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary period"; "How noises affect the body." If none of these term-paper suggestions appeal, never fear, you've got 9997 more choices in the revised and updated fifth edition of 10,000 Ideas for Term Papers, Projects, Reports, and Speeches. Appropriate for both high school and college-level assignments, the suggested topics cover 130 subject areas (from advertising to weather), and include a section entitled "Contemporary Issues" with topics such as "Homosexual clergy"; "Should sex education be taught in public schools?" and "Is suicide ever justified?" Entries that require a large public or college library for sufficient research are noted, as are those mandating special expertise or supporting evidence (i.e., don't pick one of these if your paper is due tomorrow morning). The book also offers a page of compare-and-contrast ideas (personality vs. character, atheism vs. agnosticism, and sex vs. love, to name a few) that will at the least make for enlivened party conversation. One thing is for certain--with this fecund reference you'll never again be able to say, "I can't think of anything to write about." --Brangien Davis

This edition is out of print with no new editions planned at this time.

Random House Webster's College Thesaurus

If you find yourself in perpetual pursuit of the perfect word, Random House Webster's College Thesaurus may earn a place as favorite bedside reading. From "alacrity" to "zeal," "altitude" to "zenith," this reference offers myriad options in the way of scintillating synonyms (as well as apt antonyms). Organized in a simple A-to-Z format, each word is also used in a sentence--with different sentences for distinct meanings of the word--to help eschew malapropisms. If you're still getting your sea legs in the ocean of current vocabulary, the feature on how to avoid offensive or insensitive language (a crash course in political correctness) should help prevent any embarrassing gaffs. And, for those who choose to teeter at the cutting edge of the lexicon, there's a section explaining new hipster words, such as "def," "dis," "phat," and "bloviate" (look it up!). With more than 12,000 main entry terms, 400,000-plus synonyms and antonyms, and the handy "Thumb Index," this revised and updated thesaurus is a reference no wordsmith should be without. --Brangien Davis

It's Comprehensive:

You'll find synonyms for terms like wannabe, soi-distant, laid-back, kvetch, yo-yo, zaftig, and x-rated.

You'll gain insights into words like agita, ASAP, attrite, bloviate, bodice, ripper, dis, and hot-button, all discussed in a brand-new essay on the burgeoning vocabulary of the Nineties and beyond.

You'll explore the more than 12,000 main entries, with their synonym and antonym lists offering over 400,000 word choices.


It's the Easiest Thesaurus to Use:

All the main entries are in simple A- Z listing.

Thousands of example sentences show you an appropriate context for each meaning of each main entry term.

The Thumb Index helps you find your way quickly to the word you're looking for.


It's Authoritative:

Synonym and antonym lists cover all levels of vocabulary, from formal to slang.

This reliable reference is recommended for students, writers, public speakers, and business people.

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations (Webster's New World)

A handy bon mot is a beautiful thing. For launching a speech, wrapping up a term paper, concluding an argument, or merely waxing sophisticated in front of those you'd like to impress, there's nothing like a well-turned phrase with the authoritative stamp of having been uttered originally by someone else. Webster's quips and epigrams are tidily arranged in more than 200 categories--everything from "Acting" ("Acting is not an important job in the scheme of things. Plumbing is." --Spencer Tracy) to "Youth" ("Youth is wasted on the young." --George Bernard Shaw). It's a compact book, light enough to browse one-handed, small enough to fit in a purse, and full of adages, anecdotes, apothegms, and axioms--more than 2,500 in all, and cross-referenced by topic and author--that are absorbing, browsable, and abundantly quotable. --Stephanie Gold

Professional writers and speakers, students and business professionals will find this book indispensable for enlivening articles, speeches, reports, or presentations. Over 200 subject categories group more than 4,000 quotations for quick and easy location and selection. Quotes are also extensively cross-referenced and indexed by both subject and author. The Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations is a must in any personal reference library.

The Smart Girl's Guide to College: A Serious Book Written by Women in College to Help You Make the Perfect College Choice

"I know what you're going through," is how The Smart Girl's Guide to College begins, and throughout this witty and honest book the same sympathetic, big-sisterly voice prevails. Editor Cristina Page proceeds from the assumption that (as she herself experienced) most college-bound students can't make an informed decision because they don't know the right questions to ask. To that end, she includes a handy questionnaire to fill out when considering a college, plus a list of resources for more information. But this is not your typical college guide: instead of providing short, less-than-enlightening summaries of life at individual schools, most of the book consists of 27 fascinating firsthand accounts from college women around the country. Wisely, Page lets these students speak for themselves, and the result is measured, eloquent writing about one of the most difficult decisions a young woman can make. A black student writes about her life at a predominantly white school; a freshman feels lost in the crowd at a large state university; and an Idaho woman weighs in on the advantages and disadvantages of attending college close to home. Women's colleges, religious colleges, the Ivy League, even military academies--no option is left unexplored in these unusually thoughtful and candid accounts.

The Complete Book of Colleges, 1999 Edition (Complete Book of Colleges)

The book you are holding is the only guide you will need for a successful college search. Browse through the 1999 Edition of Complete Book of Colleges and you will find meticulously researched profiles of more than 1,400 schools. It contains the latest information for each school on:


Academic programs and majors offered

Admissions requirements, including average GPA and SAT scores of incoming freshmen

Tuition, fees, and other costs

Campus mailing and email addresses, and phone and fax numbers

Housing, libraries, laboratories, and other facilities

What financial aid is available

Athletics and other extracurricular activities

Student services like counseling, career placement, and accommodations for the disabled

Comprehensive indexes and a user-friendly format help you quickly choose the schools that best match your interests

Complete, updated information on admissions, campus life, financial aid, athletic programs, and much more

New, expanded two-page custom write-ups--learn what the school has to say about itself


This is the most user-friendly book of its kind. Each profile features icons that give you an at-a-glance picture of enrollments, selectivity, and costs. In addition, we include The Princeton Review's "Admissions Wizard," a short questionnaire that streamlines your college search by helping you define the right type of school for you.

Besides the useful statistics and deadline information, Complete Book of Colleges not only helps you find schools that offer the degrees and majors you're looking for, but also lets you know what tests you need to take to gain admission. Because after all, there's a lot more to getting into college than just knowing where to send your application.