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Lets Go Linguaphiles

Not sure how  vocabulary building is going to help me increase my earnings, but hey…

On my recent visit to the family homestead I plucked from the shelf an old book of mine, pictured above.

“Word Power Made Easy” by Norman Lewis. (You can see the scan of the back of the book over at Project Life, where I am guest posting this week!)

The book has been in my possesion for years and years (not sure how it came to me) but I’d never really given it more than a cursory flick through until now.

I must say I’ve been enjoying it immensely. As well as being very, American the author proves himself opinionated, fond of digression, and not at all shy in using the book to make sweepingly hilarious statements about any number of subjects in the guise of improving the reader’s lexicon.

To provide you with a taste here is an excerpt from Chapter 6 – “How to Talk About Science and Scientists.” -

“The root astron, star, is also found, combined with our old friend ology, study of, in astrology, the pseudo-science which claims it can foretell the future by the study of the stars. The practitioner of this theory is called an astrologer, a man generally pictured with a pointed dunce cap adorned with stars, planets, and various portions of the moon; a flowing robe that looks like an old fashioned flannel nightgown; and unkept gray; and a wise expression, as if he knows everything there is to know. All he knows is that he’s going to separate you from some of your money if you’re gullible enough to believe his baseless predictions.”

Hey, don’t hold back, Norm, tell us what you really think.

Here’s another gem from a little earlier in the book when he is discussing the latin root gamos -

“…and polygamy is the delightful if somewhat chaotic custom, practiced at one time by the Mormons of Utah and before them by King Solomon, of having as many wives as a man can afford financially and put up with emotionally.”

I love this book. I am going to keep working my way through it  – learning a word here and there no doubt -  but more importantly soaking up the wisdom of Mister Lewis, and enjoying the absolute conviction and bloody minded certainty with which he sounds forth on any and all subjects he comes across.

I salute you sir! May you never be at a loss for words or opinions at that great dinner party conversation in the sky. (The author, so the internet tells me, died on September the 8th 2006, aged 93.)

P.S. In a related note, my recent gaming hours have been divided between World of Warcraft and the supremely awesome TYPING OF THE DEAD. More needs to be said on this game, and it will, so stay tuned dear reader….

Most bad-ass zombie killers ever. And doing it all with TYPING my friends!