|
| 
| Author: Barbara Ann Kipfer
Publisher: Collins
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $11.53
You Save: $5.42 (32%)
Rating:  53 reviews
Sales Rank: 7085
Media: Paperback
Edition: 6 Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1280
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.9 x 2.3
ISBN: 0060935448
Dewey Decimal Number: 423.1
EAN: 9780060935443
Publication Date: July 15, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 INDEX-STLE THESAURUS! January 7, 1999
27 out of 28 found this review helpful
This is it! The thesaurus with an index that's almost half the book -- usually the word you need is right there in the index, without having to plod through several paragraphs or even pages. This thesaurus has the whole spectrum of language, from current slang to quaint old-fashioned expressions. Those who have been frustrated by a thesaurus "in dictionary form" will find this much more complete and easier to use.
 Not Easiest To Use, but Helpful in Expository Writing. February 21, 2004
26 out of 27 found this review helpful
"Roget's International Thesaurus" is organized by subject as opposed to alphabetically, although all words are also indexed in the back. Which type of organization you prefer will depend upon your needs and tastes. If you are looking for a thesaurus that will simply give you the most and best alternative words, an alphabetical thesaurus such as Rodale Press' "Synonym Finder" is easier to use and more efficient to that purpose. On the other hand, "Roget's International Thesaurus" has traded ease of use for versatility. If it's a synonym you seek, look it up in the index, which will direct you to the appropriate section and subsection. There, you will find synonyms for your word, and if you let your eyes wander up and down the page perusing the contents of that section, you will also find words related to your subject, including antonyms. The part of speech for each word is always given, and abbreviations for "nonformal" and the origins of foreign words are provided for clarity. There are no word definitions. Section/subsection numbers are conveniently found at the top of each page to aid in locating words. If you have no idea what word you need, you can consult the list of 1,075 categories in the front of the book, which will direct you to words related to that subject. Word lists are another of the book's useful features. If you are looking at the subject of lakes, for example, you are provided with a list of the world's major lakes. Other examples include a list of words describing different types of engraving found in the graphic arts section, and over 100 types of ceramic are listed in the ceramics section. A short biography of Peter Mark Roget, the 19th century physician whose work was the basis for all subsequent thesauruses organized by subject, introduces you to the book, followed by a short explanation of how to best make use of this thesaurus. I think that most students will prefer an alphabetical thesaurus to this one. But if you do a lot of expository writing, Roget's organization by subject could prove invaluable. Since I do a lot of writing and have somehow deluded myself into viewing shelf space as endlessly expandable, I have found that having both "Roget's International Thesaurus" and "The Synonym Finder" is the best way to go.
 Poor organization of categories September 17, 2004
26 out of 30 found this review helpful
An idea-indexed thesaurus is the most fascinating and useful word tool I know. The alphabetical organization is useful too, but I find it more efficient to use the computer for that kind of search (e.g. the Roget-based 'synonyms' in MS Bookshelf). Since I'm more often looking for neighboring ideas than for synonyms, the organization of the category list is critical. Unfortunately, that is where the recent editions (5th and 6th) have badly botched things. Roget's original categorization was simple and conceptually clear - the high level groupings were very general (abtract relations, space, intellect, emotions, etc.) and fit well together. The clean, hierarchical organization was easy to navigate and worth contemplating in its own right - clearly the product of a very powerful mind.
This architecture was improved on in the subsequent editions, up to the 4th. But the 5th edition, instead of just modernizing the vocabulary, introduced a poorly thought out scheme (also used by the 6th) where, e.g., something as general as 'natural phenomena' is on the same level as 'sports and amusements', and most of the abstract concepts are thrown together into a single huge category, 'The Mind and Ideas'...
Many people won't care about this at all, but if you spend a lot of time with the category list, you may end up annoyed enough to go back to the 4th edition, which is what I did.
The best thesaurus I've seen so far. February 28, 1999
22 out of 26 found this review helpful
I have looked at several different thesauruses. Of all, this one is the easiest to use, and the most comprehensive. I teach Japanese people English as a foreign language. It is so well organized that some of my students us this thesaurus instead of a dictionary!
The best thesaurus but what happened to the book? April 3, 2002
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
This is the best thesaurus out there but what happened to the printing? The paper is now thicker and cheaper feeling. The binding looks substandard. The thumb indexing is now every two hundred sections rather than every one hundred. I prefer the feel of the older editions. Ths is too bulky and less attractive.
|
|
|
Copyright 2008 BetterEditor.net
| |
