Dictionary of Fine Distinctions

Livre broché, 208 pages

Langue : English

Publié par Profile Books Ltd.

ISBN :: 978-1-80522-722-9

Swamp or bog? Guilt or shame? Clementine or tangerine?

We like to think that we choose our words with care, but are we using them with any degree of accuracy - or should that be precision?

For hair-splitters and language lovers, Dictionary of Fine Distinctions explores the world of the vanishingly small, teasing apart the terms that we tend to collapse, conflate, or confuse. An illustrated odyssey into minute differences in meaning, Eli Burnstein's unputdownable guide will hone your wits, tickle your brain, and deepen your appreciation for the infinite (and infinitesimal) nuances all around us.

Swamp or bog? Guilt or shame? Clementine or tangerine?

We like to think that we choose our words with care, but are we using them with any degree of accuracy - or should that be precision?

For hair-splitters and language lovers, Dictionary of Fine Distinctions explores the world of the vanishingly small, teasing apart the terms that we tend to collapse, conflate, or confuse. An illustrated odyssey into minute differences in meaning, Eli Burnstein's unputdownable guide will hone your wits, tickle your brain, and deepen your appreciation for the infinite (and infinitesimal) nuances all around us.

1 édition

M. J. Wright a publié une critique de Dictionary of Fine Distinctions par Eli Burnstein

I Need More Fine Distinctions in My Life.

5 étoiles

On my latest visit to the bookshop, I did what I usually do and walked the stacks, waiting for a “vibe” to stick out to me. Nothing I have read so far has been as joyful and fun as the book I found. The Dictionary of Fine Distinctions is, at the very least, my book of the year. Eli Burnstein did an exquisite job. Reading through it was truly like soul-food for my literary mind. It was simply a delight.

For a week, I carried it in my back pocket everywhere I went because each page (or so) was a singular thought. I love books like this because they make a perfect solution for when you have just a couple of minutes to kill.

The book is a compendium of things we usually confuse for one another, conflate, or just generally don’t really know what they mean. Did …

On my latest visit to the bookshop, I did what I usually do and walked the stacks, waiting for a “vibe” to stick out to me. Nothing I have read so far has been as joyful and fun as the book I found. The Dictionary of Fine Distinctions is, at the very least, my book of the year. Eli Burnstein did an exquisite job. Reading through it was truly like soul-food for my literary mind. It was simply a delight.

For a week, I carried it in my back pocket everywhere I went because each page (or so) was a singular thought. I love books like this because they make a perfect solution for when you have just a couple of minutes to kill.

The book is a compendium of things we usually confuse for one another, conflate, or just generally don’t really know what they mean. Did I mention it was funny? Not funny “ha-ha,” but just... sweet to read, like a chat with a best friend on a walk through the woods.

While I am sad that I have finished the book and ran out of the finest distinctions, it now serves a new purpose as a reference, a tool for sharing the interesting things I learned with those I care about. (Also, Mr. Burnstein, I’d be first in line if you were to ever make a sequel. Consider this my most humble request. Thank you. 🙂)

Usually, I like to quote something from the book to give a taste, but it's all so wonderful I don’t know what I’d even pick. So instead, here are 3-4 pages that stick out in my mind, be it interesting, funny, or strangely topical to my life (I was roped into a fight about sorbet): pages 24, 42, 174, and 175.

Even if you aren’t a “reader,” I humbly suggest you give this book a try. I’m positive you’ll enjoy it. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll share your discoveries too.

Take care!

—MJW