I much prefered The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson. The Morris book seemed very random, while the work by Hendrickson seemed more in-depth.

As a budding linguist (by hobby not vocation) it's kind of fun to be able to cross-reference with other dictionaries of word origins. But if you are of limited funds or just want a better source, I'd definitely suggest you give this a miss and go for something by Ayto or Oxford.

This book is an enjoyable read, with some phrases I have not found in other work phrase books (and I have about six such type books.) However, I think the title of the book has given this book and average rating among reviewers. Those expecting a comprehensive amount of word/phrase origins will be disappointed, but no fault of theirs, the book's title is misleading. The book's title should be something like "Interesting Word and Phrase Origins". It's also a little high-priced for what you get new, so definately get a used version.

Each story pulls the reader in from the start, but when the ending comes, there is no ending, no closure. It leaves the reader dissapointed, feeling that there is something missing. It's as if the second half of the story is missing. Despite the great pull these stories posess in the beginning, I wouldn't recommend wasting time getting involved with these stories. There is nothing to be gained, excpet dissapointment

I may have had too high of expectations after reading the publisher's notes about keeping kids busy while you're cooking in the kitchen. This part didn't work for me, but the magnet on the book is clever. As for the story, it's sweet with a "good values" storyline, although it's short and jumps from one thing to another fairly quickly. So for my 2-year-old we had to discuss what was happening on each page for several readings after getting the book.

This book had me confused by the third page- it is definetely not a book that I would recommend to anybody with no knowledge of HTML to begin with.

A third edition of a book normally indicates a well written book. Without hesitation I bought this shrink wrapped book, especially because the cover page promises ".... expanded to cover Dynamic HTMl and XML..."

However, dynamic HTML gets a one page futuristic view, while XML is treated on less than a page. DTD is indicated in the index as Data Type Definition, most other sources call it Document Type Definition. I could not find any mention of the Document Object Model.

Surely both DHTML and XML were established well enough to warrant better treatment than this with a cover page mention of the topics. I for sure will be cautious to buy future books from this publisher or authors in shrink wrap form.

The reason no other person has written a review on this book is because probably few other people have read it. I have been reading it in conjunction with my work on eugenics and the impact on the deaf and hard-of-hearing in the United States. What does science literacy have to do with eugenics? The whole reason eugenics was possible in the United States from 1880 to the 1930s and beyond, is because people left 'science' up to the 'experts'...those who had science training, physicians, social workers, and some very questionable 'scientists'. These experts used science colored by prejudice to place marriage restrictions, sterilize those they considered less worthy of bearing children, and also to practice euthanasia and experimentation on the disabled in the U.S. Shamos makes the ridiculous argument that only those interested in science as a career should have exposure to scientific concepts, the rest of us 'illiterates' (whether female, minorities, or different abilities) should allow the 'experts' to make informed decisions about science and its impact on our lives. Shamos doesn't even bother to do the educational research to back up his general statements, and a good many of his statements border on offensive. This is a man who had the ear of science associations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

What is so frightening is this book is recent, and he makes several of the same statements the eugenicists used to use about society and people doing what is best for society, and not for individuals. According to Shamos, most Americans cannot possibly fathom science concepts and so we should not waste our time teaching science in elementary and secondary schools. Rather than doing research into the best ways to teach science so all can understand, even if it means using multiple methods, Shamos excuses science educators and scientists from even trying since the masses are too stupid to be able to overcome generalizations or what he calls "common sense." Rarely have I read a book which made me so angry. There is no excuse for laziness on the part of educators in teaching science for a lifetime, and there is no excuse for prejudices that dictate what individuals can and cannot do. Science pervades our lives, and in order to give informed consent to any science practice, all must have the education to question, whether medical, environmental, or any other science that impacts our lives. The right to restrict educational opportunity has no place anywhere, and it certainly has no place in the United States. Karen L. Sadler, A deaf scientist and educator, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh