Reference and Resources Tips
Read these 14 Reference and Resources Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Book tips and hundreds of other topics.
The Columbia Guide to Online Style - Janice Walker and Todd Taylor
Do you intend to incorporate electronic resources into your research project? "The Columbia Guide to Online Style" shows you how to cite everything from e-mail to e-zines. Working in a virtual world, where anything seems possible and conventions be damned, it´s important to standardize and adhere to some rules!
Chemical Elements: From Carbon to Krypton - David E. Newton
Arranged alphabetically, this encyclopedia explores the history and properties of each element and includes its uses and common compounds.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions
An allusion is a word or phrase, sometimes in a foreign language, which is so familiar to our culture that it immediately brings to mind a set of circumstances, facts or feelings. Kilroy. Carpe diem. Jim Crow. Sound and fury. Hegira. Lingua Franca. In flagrante delicto. If you don´t know the meanings and origins of all these allusions, then you should appreciate the Merriam-Webster´s Dictionary of Allusions.
The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations - Charles Harrington Elster
Subtitled "The Ultimate Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker," this volume is an excellent reference for anyone who speaks, particularly those who speak in public. Learn the proper pronunciation of the words most often mangled by those who should know better.
Best Bet Internet: Reference and Research - Shirley Duglin Kennedy
"Best Bet Internet: Reference and Research When You Don´t Have Time to Mess Around" is considered superior to, and more up to date than, the mass-produced guides found everywhere these days. A librarian reports: "Our two-week-old copy is already thumbworn, as we keep it by our terminals for patron reference. I think we may order another one and hide it for staff use only!"
Who's Afraid of Schrodinger's Cat? - Ian Marshall and Danah Zohar
Does quantum theory make you queasy? Physics make you physically ill? Wondering why Schrodinger put his cat in a box to begin with? Begin to conquer your fear of science, and take this highly readable and comprehensible excursion through the world of modern physics.
Woe is I (Guide to Better English) - Patricia T. O'Conner
Enjoy this tongue-in-cheek grammar guide, while putting your grammatic ducks in a row. Excellent reference for writers, students and speakers.
Random House Webster's Crossword Puzzle Dictionary
Pick up a copy of the "Random House Webster´s Crossword Puzzle Dictionary" before filling in the little boxes. Locate that annoying river in Germany, learn the name of Caesar´s wife, or find an eight-letter word for ´troublesome´ among this myriad of fascinating and obscure facts.
Encarta World English Dictionary - Anne Soukhanov, editor
English is changing at breakneck speed. The "Encarta World English Dictionary" covers new developments in the language thoroughly and efficiently; a reference tool for anyone hooked into the new global culture.
A Dictionary of Modern American Usage - Bryan Garner
An outstanding book that explains grammar and usage in precise and easy-to-understand language, this volume is dryly witty, organized and up to date, and tuned to both basic usage and advanced nuances. It seems destined to become the language usage reference book of choice.
The Oxford Companion to the Year
Edited by Bonnie Blackburn and Leofranc Holford-Stevens, "The Oxford Companion to the Year" should have a permanent place in every personal reference library. The main body of the book gives historical and folkloric information on every day of the year; the days of the week; months; and seasons; and the major feast days and festivals in many different cultures. Find fascinating information on the making of calendars over the centuries: how our own calendar evolved, with irregular months and leap years, plus the calendars of many other cultures.
The Encyclopedia of Mental Health - Howard S. Friedman
Lengthy articles, with bibliographies, written by scholars. These articles reflect current research in this changing field, and are arranged alphabetically, with a table of contents in each volume, and a detailed index in the third volume.
Roget's A-Z Thesaurus
Searching for just the right word? You´ll find it in "Webster´s New World Roget´s A-Z Thesaurus." It combines the traditional Roget´s-style thematic index with the convenient alphabetic organization of the modern lexicon.
The Quotable Book Lover - Ben Jacobs
A collection of some of the most penetrating and insightful quotes about books and their impact on our lives, including chapters on such things as reading, writing, and bookbinding. No bibliophile should pass this one up!
