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Literally, the Best Language Book Ever: Annoying Words and Abused Phrases You Should Never Use Again

Literally, the Best Language Book Ever: Annoying Words and Abused Phrases You Should Never Use Again

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Author: Paul Yeager
Publisher: Perigee Trade
Category: Book

List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $5.88
You Save: $8.07 (58%)

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New (39) Used (15) from $5.88

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 15 reviews
Sales Rank: 54704

Media: Paperback
Pages: 208
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.7

ISBN: 0399534237
Dewey Decimal Number: 428
EAN: 9780399534232
ASIN: 0399534237

Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: New! Fast Shipping. May have small remainder mark. Customer Service is our #1 priority!

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  • Kindle Edition - Literally, the Best Language Book Ever

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
A wry and engaging look at trite, trendy, grammatically incorrect, inane, outdated, and lazy uses of words, phrases, and expressions.

By turns gleefully precise and happily contrarian, this is a highly opinionated guide to better communication. In Literally, the Best Language Book Ever, author Paul Yeager attacks with a linguistic scalpel the illogical expressions and misappropriated meanings that are so commonplace and annoying in everyday conversation. Identifying hundreds of common language miscues, Yeager provides an astute look at the world of words and how we abuse them every day.

For the grammar snobs looking for any port in a storm of subpar syntax, or the self-confessed rubes seeking a helping hand, this witty guide can transform even the least literate into the epitome of eloquence.



Customer Reviews:   Read 10 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars Unexpected and Thought-provoking   August 17, 2008
Mark M. (Seattle, Washington)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This isn't the typical grammar or language book, which is probably one of the nicest things about it. I liked that instead of dealing with the same grammar errors that every other book deals with (although he does have several chapters on straight grammar errors), the author shines a light on expressions that most of us use every day without thinking.

Some of the entries are the writer's opinion, but so are a lot of the so-called grammar "errors" that I've seen in other books, and some of the entries ARE strict grammar errors that people who really know grammar would agree on. I'm surprised to see some reviewers pick on individual entries from the book; with over 350 entries, who's going to agree with ALL of them! Come on people! The author has a good sense of humor and uses it to get his points across. At least he did for me.

Just read it and enjoy it. It's a funny book. As the author says, he's not trying to be a language dictator; he's just trying to get people to think before speaking.



5 out of 5 stars Cool!   August 16, 2008
Angelo F. Stalis (Fresno, Ca. USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book is cool! Yup, I'm guilty as hell in abusing the English language; but Mr. Yeager at least makes me think twice when speaking or writing. Don't take the book too seriously. As Yeager notes he too is guilty of misuse. What he is saying is we should all simply make more of an effort to choose a better word rather than take the easy way out.
I'm in the communications business and the one phrase we seem to use often is "no one here is communicating".
"Literally The Best Language Book Ever" should be on everyone's desk.



1 out of 5 stars Literally, the Best Language Book Ever:   July 5, 2008
J. Wood (Tualatin, OR, USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I had hoped this writer would approach the topic with some humor...alas, not one smile evident. Instead, he seems permanently annoyed. And he delivers his boring lecture from a podium high up in the sky where he can look down on the mere peons who ignorantly abuse his language. I bought it as a gift for a writer friend, but changed my mind after skimming through it.


1 out of 5 stars Save your money   June 26, 2008
Mark O'leary (Massachusetts)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

To be fair, I must say that the book is not entirely without good material, but what there is, is insufficient to warrant a recommendation. When the author is wrong about a word or phrase, he is spectacularly so. From time to time he appears to believe that an expression is illogical simply because HE does not understand it. While I occasionally found myself nodding in agreement over some entries, I had to restrain myself from throwing the book against the wall after reading others.

Not recommended.



1 out of 5 stars disappointing   June 26, 2008
C. Feldman (Seattle, WA USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book turned out to both dull reading and unrealistic in its approach to language today. Save your money.



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