Many Wordcrafters like to give books for holiday gifts. Please post any suggestions here. I will post a few myself.

Nathan Bierma suggested 3 language books; he says:

~ "The second edition of Deborah Tannen's "Conversational Style: Analyzing Talk Among Friends" (Oxford University Press, 244 pages, $19.95), first published in 1984, was released last month. Tannen meticulously analyzes the linguistic features and strategies of her friends in a conversation over Thanksgiving dinner, which they agreed to have tape recorded. She prints a transcript of their table talk with special notations to show the speaker's emphasis, pitch and volume."

~ "'Weasel Words: The Dictionary of American Doublespeak' (Capital Books, 220 pages, $20) by Paul Wasserman and Don Hausrath, doesn't live up to its loaded title; most of its entries are merely slogans and buzzwords. But the book does list some whopping examples of jargon, from 'approved interrogation techniques' (which means 'legal torture,' the authors say) to 'zone of proximal development (ZPD),' a category covering what a child cannot do without adult guidance -- 'such as riding a bicycle,' the authors say, 'or wearing sensible clothes.'"

~ "In 'Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods' (St. Martin's Press, 303 pages, $24.95), Yiddish scholar Michael Wex devotes separate chapters to the Yiddish words for food, sex, death and curses: Wex provides the Yiddish translations for 'a barracks should collapse on you' and 'you should grow like an onion -- with your head in the ground.'"

I would suggest:

~ "Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945," by Tony Judt, from The Penguin Press ($39.95). This book details Europe's recovery from WWII, providing good insight.

~ "Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami, from Alfred A. Knopf ($25.95). I haven't read it, but it is described by the NY Times as a "dreamily cerebral novel" of a boy fleeing an Oedipal prophecy, and that of a witless old man who can talk to cats. It was translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel.

~ "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," by Doris Kearns Goodwin. This book talks about the team that Lincoln put together that led the country through a great crisis. It is not only political, but also a good lesson in leadership because Lincoln, in some cases, put his enemies on his team so as to create power and consensus.

~ "My Life so Far" by Jane Fonda, from Random House ($26.95). I have mentioned this book here before, but I loved not only reading about Jane's personal life, but also about her political activism. I learned a lot from her book, as many of the media reports of her activities haven't been accurate.

quote:

~ "'Weasel Words: The Dictionary of American Doublespeak' (Capital Books, 220 pages, $20) by Paul Wasserman and Don Hausrath, doesn't live up to its loaded title; most of its entries are merely slogans and buzzwords. But the book does list some whopping examples of jargon, from 'approved interrogation techniques' (which means 'legal torture,' the authors say) to 'zone of proximal development (ZPD),' a category covering what a child cannot do without adult guidance -- 'such as riding a bicycle,' the authors say, 'or wearing sensible clothes.'"

I picked up the British paperback version of that book for a few pence in a charity shop (charity shops are like second-hand thrift shops, but the proceeds - after expenses - go to whatever charity the shop is supporting). It's by Philip Howard who was Literary Editor of The Times when his book was published in 1978.

The blurb on the back says:

"THE WORD ACCORDING TO HOWARD

Is the English language being strangled by a sort of Double Dutch Elm disease of jargon, slang and obfuscation? Why do we say 'cheers' when we mean 'sorry' and 'lovely' when we mean 'thank you'?
How Platonic is platonic love these days?
What is a personality? Is there a person inside trying to get out?
How big is a quantum jump and is data not what they used to be at this moment in time?

Philip Howard, Literary Editor of The Times, conducts a lively examination of over forty specific examples of words and phrases that have recently changed their meaning. Basically, the result is an on-going entertainment situation!"

It's hilarious, but educative at the same time. Here's one passage, taken at random:

"The image of a fat banker slithering down the Cresta Run without a toboggan was unwittingly evoked in an avalanche of metaphor in a piece of City journalism recently: 'The market was shaken by a sudden plunge in the pound's exchange rate, and as no floor was provided by the Bank, at least at first, there was a snowballing effect.'

Like most jargons, the private language of teh money market slips easily into absurdity. Such technical terms as plunge, floor, and snowball are presumably dead metaphors for those who use them in their hermetic daily 'shop'. For us outsiders they ae still very much alive, and are roused by chance collocations to mental motion-picture shows as ludicrous as the Keystone Kops."

I like light reading on holiday or when travelling. Nothing too taxing and something I can pick up at odd moments and put down whenever an opportunity to do something more interesting arises. I like detective fiction and science fiction/fantasy, so I'll recommend a few.

For a detective with a difference, try the adventures of the mediaeval monk Brother Cadfael by 'Ellis Peters' (real name Edith Pargeter). The books are well-researched, well-written and informative.

Terry Pratchett Terry Pratchett's books about the Discworld are humorous and surreal and he loves wordplay. Depending on how fast you read and how much time you have to do it, you may need two or three to last you a week, but they're worth it.

Similarly with Anne McCaffrey's books about Pern. It's best to read The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall to begin with because it explains how the planet was first discovered and settled and the reasons for the way of life depicted in all the other books. The world she's conjured up is believable and scientifically logical and the characters are three-dimensional and sympathetic. Not just "cowboys in space" by any means

I'd think we should focus on word-books here. In fact, maybe wordcrafter could consolidate our entries onto a single webpage.

quote:

Originally posted by Dianthus:


Similarly with Anne McCaffrey's books about Pern. It's best to read The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall to begin with because it explains how the planet was first discovered and settled and the reasons for the way of life depicted in all the other books.

That raises an intersting point about book series. I'll take it to another thread though.

quote:

I'd think we should focus on word-books here.

Wordnerd, I am not sure what you mean. In this thread? On this board? We have often discussed all kinds of books on this board, and I'd sure like to continue with that. After all, books have words in them.

Thanks, Di, for that description of "Weasel Words;" I will have to look at it!

I just bought a book for my dear friend and puppetry partner. [u]The Wisdom of Big Bird[/u] by Caroll Spinney. It's a neat little autobiographical work about how Caroll became Big Bird and Oscar. Great stuff!

I'm giving my mother-in-law a book of crossword puzzles.

Oh yes, and I found a beautiful book of bird paintings for my mother.

Those are all the books I'm gifting this year.

I read an excellent review of "Kafka on the Shore" by Murakami; in fact, it was listed as one of the top 10 books from 2005. I bought it for my daughter, and she is very excited to read it. She has already read some of Murakami's books, and she likes him a lot.

BTW, here is the link to the NY Times 10 top books in 2005.

Ha! Figures, I've never heard of any of them. Guess I better get cracking!

The link seems dead now, so here they are:

1. KAFKA ON THE SHORE By Haruki Murakami.
This graceful and dreamily cerebral novel, translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel, tells two stories - that of a boy fleeing an Oedipal prophecy, and that of a witless old man who can talk to cats - and is the work of a powerfully confident writer.


2. ON BEAUTY By Zadie Smith.
In her vibrant new book, a cultural-politics novel set in a place like Harvard, the author of ''White Teeth'' brings everything to the table: a crisp intellect, a lovely wit and enormous sympathy for the men, women and children who populate her story.

3. PREP By Curtis Sittenfeld.
This calm and memorably incisive first novel, about a scholarship girl who heads east to attend an elite prep school, casts an unshakable spell and has plenty to say about class, sex and character.

4. SATURDAY By Ian McEwan.
As bracing and as carefully constructed as anything McEwan has written, this astringent novel traces a day in the life of an English neurosurgeon who comes face to face with senseless violence.

5. VERONICA By Mary Gaitskill.
This mesmerizingly dark novel from the author of ''Bad Behavior'' and ''Two Girls, Fat and Thin'' is narrated by a former Paris model who is now sick and poor; her ruminations on beauty and cruelty have clarity and an uncanny bite.

6. THE ASSASSINS' GATE America in Iraq By George Packer
A comprehensive look at the largest foreign policy gamble in a generation, by a New Yorker reporter who traces the full arc of the war, from the pre-invasion debate through the action on the ground.

7. DE KOONING An American Master By Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan.
A sweeping biography, impressively researched and absorbingly written, of the charismatic immigrant who stood at the vortex of mid-20th-century American art.

8. THE LOST PAINTING By Jonathan Harr.
This gripping narrative, populated by a beguiling cast of scholars, historians, art restorers and aging nobles, records the search for Caravaggio's ''Taking of Christ,'' painted in 1602 and rediscovered in 1990.

9. POSTWAR A History of Europe Since 1945 By Tony Judt.
Judt's massive, learned, brilliantly detailed account of Europe's recovery from the wreckage of World War II presents a whole continent in panorama even as it sets off detonations of insight on almost every page.

10. THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING By Joan Didion.
A prose master's harrowing yet exhilarating memoir of a year riven by sudden death (her husband's) and mortal illness (their only child's).

I looked at "Postwar" for Shu, but thought better of it...and instead bought him "Born to Kvetch" which came highly recommended by Zmj.