The author traces his "checkered past" from his Iowa roots to West Point graduation and military service in Vietnam, then for almost ten years reporting on Asia from locations such as the China-Vietnam border; the "Killing Fields" inside Cambodia; the assassination in New Delhi of the late Indira Gandhi; and the last years of the Marcos regime in Manila, plus many others. His major life change occurred during a midlife crisis in 1988 when confronted like the prophet Isaiah of carrying on a...

Learn the words you need to succeed in collegeApplying to colleges and preparing for the next leg of your academic career is a stressful and chaotic time for everyone. But knowing these 250 words will help you prepare for a new world of academic rigors.Using this book as a key learning tool in your college prep process, you will...expand your toolkit of words for standardized tests and application essaysprepare for demanding essay an...

Learn the words you need to succeed in high schoolHigh school opens a world of new ideas and experiences—along with more challenging and sophisticated concepts. Knowing these 250 words will give students the gift of reduced stress, greater academic achievement, and a head start that will last for years to come.Using this book as a key learning tool, upcoming high school freshmen can...prepare for the challenge of high school e...

Every writer needs help with words: choosing them, using them, spelling them correctly. When is optimal or optimum the better choice? Why use germane when relevant is, well, more relevant? Created for just such tortuous (torturous?) situations, this handy guide provides an A-to-Z listing of troublesome, confusing words, accompanied by clear examples and explanations to help avoid common mistakes. With a discussion on getting the most out of words, a helpful resource section, humorous illus...

Ultimate Word Success is a great way to have fun while building vocabulary. Standardized test-takers (GED, PSAT/NMSQT*, SAT* ACT®, and TOEFL) can sharpen their skills with hundreds of fun exercises and practice test questions. Readers will surely build a bigger and better vocabulary and quickly learn new "test-worthy" words through the numerous word games, quizzes, and puzzles that are both entertaining and educational.*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was n...

Millions of people around the world communicate better thanks to Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, whose top-rated weekly grammar podcast has been downloaded more than 40 million times. Now she's turning her attention to improving our vocabulary—one smart word at a time—with Grammar Girl's 101 Words to Sound Smart.Are you often stumped for the perfect way to say or write something? Do you find yourself using the same words over and over? Grammar Girl to the rescue! This han...

Avoid vocabulary mistakes with this fun guide to tricky and troublesome words!With concise and authoritative usage notes from the editors of the American Heritage® Dictionaries, this guide explains common English-language errors—whether it's mixing up affect and effect; blatant and flagrant; or disinterested and uninterested, or stumbling over sound-alikes including discrete/ discreet or pr...

Eliminate mistakes and improve your vocabulary with this engaging guide to the world's most misused words.Do you know your delegate from your relegate, your cachet from your cache?At one time or another we've all suffered the embarrassment of having our remarks corrected by a family member, colleague, or stranger. 100 Words Almost Everyone Mixes Up or Mangles presents fifty pairs of words that people have trouble...

Review an extensive list of words most commonly tested on the General GRE, including word origins and sample usage sentences.

The purpose of theater, like magic, like religion . . . is to inspire cleansing awe. What makes good drama? And why does drama matter in an age that is awash in information and entertainment? David Mamet, one of our greatest living playwrights, tackles these questions with bracing directness and aphoristic authority. He believes that the tendency to dramatize is essential to human nature, that we create drama out of everything from today’s weather to next year’s elections. But the...

Millions of people around the world communicate better thanks to Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl, whose top-rated weekly grammar podcast has been downloaded more than 30 million times. Now she's turning her attention to improving our vocabulary—one word at a time—with Grammar Girl's 101 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know.Not sure whether your post-high school vocabulary is up to snuff? This handy reference guide is a great starting point for ensuring you know ...

A Writer's Quick Reference Guide to Words is a book on transition words and phrases for writers. The lists are arranged as a handy, quick reference tool for writers of all levels, from homeschoolers to professionals looking for word alternatives.The words and phrases are compiled into categories for easy use, providing the writer with a variety of choices. "Whether you're writing an e-mail or the next NY Times bestseller, you'll find something here to meet your needs."What ot...