A nebech is more to be pitied than a schlemiel because you can nevr dislike a nebech .. you can only feel sorry for him. Therefore, make a poor nebech smile with a gift of this charming book. My mother, aleha ha-shalom (may she rest in peace) loved this book because she, as someone fluent in Yiddish, knew how dead on right Rosten is in his understanding and explanation of the nuances of Yiddish. For someone like me, who is not fluent, but understands the flavor of Yiddish, this book is a gem because in a charming and humorous way, it increases the depth of my feeling for the mama loshen (mother tongue). If you were to just open this book for the jokes, it stands well as a great book of Jewish humor. Together with it's instruction on how to understand the flavor of Yiddish, this book is five star plus! This book is one that I open over and over again. It never becomes tiresome. I have literally been using it for decades and it seems as fresh and new as the day I first opened it. Oy ... a book that has been in print since 1968 must have something going for it. I recommend this modern classic.

A mechaieh, as Mr Rosten defines it, is a 'pleasure, great enjoyment, a real joy...invariably uttered with a smile, a grin, a patting of the stomach, a pleased cluck or shake of the head'. That term is a perfect description of this wonderful book, written not only with humor but real care, love, erudition and depth. It is not only a collection of marvelous words and unforgettable jokes and stories, but a perfect introduction to both religious and secular Jewish culture in all its glory. This is one of the funniest books you will ever read, even if you aren't Jewish. In fact, in the 40 years this book has been around, I'm sure it's inspired a few conversions!

Where else can you learn all the nuances of the 29 different ways to say 'Oy!' (which, of course, is not a word, but a vocabulary), the 19 different meanings of 'Nu?' and the 20 situations where 'Feh!' is the most appropriate thing to say? Or when (and when not) to say 'Mazel Tov!'?

For those who are unfamiliar with Yiddish - and there are probably very few of you because it has so thoroughly penetrated the English language - it is the mamaloshen (mother tongue) of the Askenazic (i.e German, Russian and Eastern European) Jewish community, with comprises roughly 85% of Jews worldwide. It is a mixture of German, Hebrew, English, and various other European languages - I am not sure of the exact percentages but it's about 70% German. Words such as chutzpah, yenta, schlemiel, kvetch and dreck, as well as prefixes such as 'sh' and 'shm' (as in 'Oedipus-Shmoedipus, as long as he loves his mother') and suffixes such as 'nik' (beatnik, peacenik, nudnik) all come from this marvelous language. So do various lingustic devices such as scorn through reversed word order ('Already you're discouraged?'), shifting emphasis in a sentence from one word to another ('HIM you trust?' is very different from 'him you TRUST?'), and frankly, too many to list in a review limited to 1,000 words.

As Rosten himself says, this is not so much a book about Yiddish itself or a Yiddish dictionary but a book how English has been affected by Yiddish and immeasurably enriched by it.

The book is written in dictionary format, where every word is given at least one definition and pronunciation, and then illustrated with at least one if not more stories, some poignant, most hilarious. In fact, I think more dictionaries and word books should use Rosten's approach - it's a lot easier to retain vocabulary if you're laughing your head off and will never forget the story the new word is used in. Because of this format, you don't have to read it from cover to cover (although you'll probably want to), but can simply open to a random page and discover a treasure.

I also really like the somewhat old fashioned sweetness and innocence of this book. Although it is occasionally slightly vulgar (e.g. the entries on 'schmuck' and 'putz'), and Yiddish is one of the best languages around for invective, rarely, if ever, do we see the kind of schadenfreude and sheer mean-spiritedness that often passes for humor these days.

There is also a very valuable appendix with some 60 articles on various Jewish rituals, customs, and superstitions ranging from Anointing to False Messiahs to Yom Kippur.

I do have some minor quibbles. One is that some of the transliterations into English are to my mind a little strange. I have never seen 'yeshiba' for 'yeshiva' elsewhere, for example. Also, this book IS 40 years old and some of the social trends it discusses and makes fun of are long past. The Lower East Side of New York, for example, is no longer a poor Jewish neighborhood, and (SOB!) the Catskill culture seems to be dying out as many of the hotels have been sold. I'm not sure if Jewish suburban matrons are still taking on such ultra-assimilated names as Dyanne and Sadelle and Shirlee. I also doubt if very many people my age - I'm 31 - know what the Hays code is, let alone understand a joke about it. I'm not saying any of this material should have been left out, but especially since this is a new paperback edition Rosten might have added some new material reflecting the foibles of the more modern Jewish and Yiddish speaking communities. Then again, I haven't read all of his books yet, and that material might be in some of his more recent works.

And finally, some of the BEST Yiddish phrases are probably way too vulgar for this PG rated book!

Still, this book is essential for anyone even remotely interested in Judaism, Jewish culture, immigrant culture, languages, or a whole host of other subjects. As I said before, you don't have to be Jewish - in fact, one of the biggest mavens (experts) on Yiddish was none other than James Cagney! I assure you that you will have a huge grin on your face every time you put this book down - if you put it down. Frankly, the book is worth buying for the stories under "Oyrech" and "Talmid Chachem" alone.

Alright already! I've kvelled (gushed) over this book enough. From ME you need to hear more? If you don't buy it, you're meshuggeneh (crazy)!

No one can say it better than Leo Rosten whose subtitle to "Joys" reads: "A relaxed lexicon of Yiddish, Hebrew and Yinglish words often encountered in English, plus dozens that ought to be, with serendipitous excursions into Jewish humor, habits, holidays, history, religion, ceremonies, folklore, and cuisine, the whole generously garnished with stories, anecdotes, epigrams, Talmudic quotations, folk sayings and jokes-from the days of the Bible to those of the beatnik."

Written in 1968 and an instant best seller, it became a standard reference work on the Yiddish language. The format is that of a lexicon, i.e. each Yiddish entry (tranliterated into english) is follwed by a brief definition, with, in most cases, a story, epigram or joke to illustate the Yiddish word.

This book can be picked up and broused, can be read cover to cover, or can be used as a reference book.

If you like to laugh, or are interested in Jewish cuture or religion, or are just sometimes stumped by a Yiddish word now and then, you will love "The Joys of Yiddish."

The Education of Hyman Kaplan is an almost lost creation of Leo Rosten, a book I discovered a few years ago. On the face this book is a comedy of language set among the immigrant students of an adult language school in New York. There is no doubt the Rosten has a flair for bringing out the hilarious subtleties of the English language, and the book moves so quickly it seems unfairly short. Mr. Parkhill's beginners grade classroom is the scene of countless battle and wars, where the students struggle against syntax, diction, and each other. Some of the botched quotes from Shakespeare are masterpieces in themselves. I had no idea a book of this kind could be such a riot, and never knew our language was so close to lunacy.

The hapless hero, Kaplan, provides a wonderful vehicle for Rosten to maneuver through the pitfalls and traps of the many idiomed English Language. However, behind the books' mangled metaphors, garbled grammar, and reinvented history, lies the world of the immigrant in New York City. The light-hearted episodes are interspersed with an occasional look into the difficult life of a brand new American. These chapters show the optimism and the will to succeed that Kaplan's fellow students brought with them to America. Kaplan himself is an emblem of endurance; forever doomed to stay in the beginners grade, yet never despairing of the always elusive verb tenses.

This book has only one "weakness": it does not cater to cynicism. It looks ahead, from the eyes of each of the characters, to a better time, a better place, with better pronunciation. This is a glimpse of the Dream of America that I had not seen, a different view that fascinated me. I think the strangest thing is that the book is never preachy. It is likely this is because Rosten wrote this book as a mature writer, with many other works under his belt. His tendency to constant revision has left this book a polished gem. Read, laugh, and enjoy.

Hyman Kaplan will win the heart of the most cold hearted reader. The honest enthusiasm of the title character fills the book. You will find yourself writing your name in bright crayons for months after reading.

"The Education of Hyman Kaplan" is a delightful, funny, enchanting book. Always excited to work and participate in class, Mr. Kaplan embarks on his mission to impress his teacher, Mr. Parkhill--and be graduated from the begginer's grade. Unfortunately, he is not quite successful. This book is one of the funniest that exists, so I suggest: READ IT!

This book is very, very funny. It's a real rarity, a reference book that you can read from cover to cover in one session.

Leo Rosten, does the subject justice and keeps his timeless style intact covering this fascinating and esoteric world of faith, foklore, tradition, genious and history through a cute study of Yiddish philology...

Even though Yiddish has not replaced English, it definitely contributed a lot. This book will teach you tips how to use Yiddish expressions. From now on you don't have to worry about your sociall status. A mere mentioning of a yiddish saying makes people laugh. By reading this book you will become a real 'maven'. Good Luck!

"The pusuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and a desire for personal independence-these are the features of Jewish tradition which make me thank my stars that I belong to it"
- Albert Einstein

Such a quote from Albert is enhanced by thousands of others.

This book is the ultimate collection of Leo Rosten's humorous stories about Mr. Kaplan, a student in The American Night Preparatory School for Adults, where immigrants are tutored in the baffling mysteries of the English Language. Mr. Kaplan is dedicated, hard-working, and intelligent, yet concepts of English grammer, vocabulary, and pronounciation just refuse to sink in. Like when he claimed that the plural of sandwich is "delicatessen". Or his idenitification of the comparative and superlative of good as "Good, better, high-class". Or his immortal patriotic speech about "Judge Vashington" and the egregious betrayal by "Ben and Dick Arnold."

But much more than a bogged-down student, Mr. Kaplan is a good-hearted and strangely eloquent man who regards his malapropisms as creativity rather than error, offers moral support to students less self-confident than he, and frequenly crosses swords with his more competent but less imaginative classmates, many of whom are equally vivid, loveable, and quirky: Shy Rose Mitnick, cantankerous Norman Bloom, sultry Olga "I am Woomon" Tarnova, bubbly and laughing Nathan P. Nathan, and of course the infinitely patient teacher and straight-man, Mr. Parkhill.

_O Kaplan, My Kaplan_ includes all the stories from _The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N_ and _The Return of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N_, plus a host of new stories and new characters. The book is the creme de la creme of Mr. Kaplan's world and should NEVER have gone out of print!

Give yourself a break, some laughs, and a lesson in the English language. Buy this book. It's an ideal gift for ghostwriters, speechwriters, essayists, and English teachers.

From "give a man enough rope, and he'll hang you" to The Weather forecast:Snow, followed by little boys with sleds," Professor Rosen has organized a delightful collection of offbeat insights. Pithy, insightful verbal goofs on 35 grand subjects (the Arts, Life, Love, Sports) are presented for your reading pleasure. Footnotes are included for the academically inclined.

Warning: Puns are addictive. This slender volume could be hazardous to your social life.

This book is fun *and* educational. On one hand, you can use it like an encyclopedia, to find out, say, what Yom Kippur celebrates. On the other hand, you can use it to acquire a set of one-liners, catch phrases, and plain old jokes, mostly groaners. You'll also find out what are true Yiddishisms and what are mangled versions, and what the proper use of some common terms is. Neat book to dip into now and then.

(The only trouble with it is that once you start reading you tend to keep reading past the point where the jokes make you laugh and the serious entries stick with you. It's best absorbed a little at a time, if you can force yourself to do it that way.)

Oh, and don't kvetch the peaches. (p. 310)

Simplistic and without real scholarship, one wonders why this is the book that people chose for any kind of language enhancment of the joys of that most subtle and lovely of langauges.

"America ganef!" my Grandma would exclaim upon encountering a pleasant surprise. (See JOY page 115.) That's my reaction seeing this old friend renewed, broader, more current and more liberal in its Jewish scope, and more lively and attractive because of the illustrations and layout. Yet it is still the warm, friendly, funny book I remember from nearly 30 years ago.

Somehow the New Joys of Yiddish has more meaning for me now that nearly all those family members I remember using Yiddish often - some relying on it almost entirely, others just when they used a forceful, colorful, close-to-the heart expression (which was very often) - are gone. The book evokes memories of those good people to whom we owe so much - if only for having had the wisdom to select this country for us and our children.

The book is like a warm and witty friend whose conversation brightens your home and is rarely pedantic. (At a couple of places, such as his seven page exposition on the messiah, he does go on too long.)

Two types of people will find this book enjoyable: those who read the original edition and those who didn't.

So to the Rosten family and Larry Bush - mazal tov!

After buying this reference...I found that the book has a copywrite date of 1975. On the surface...this may not sound like such a big deal, but the author continually refers to dates in support of his subject matter, as if these dated events happened recently, but in all actuality...they happened over 25 years ago !!! I felt as a reader that I was reading ancient history...definitely not what I bought the book for.

Even if this book had been recently revised....I'd still not give it 5 stars. Section 1 of the book which deals with the various denominations and their attributes were far too short. Also....the author has omitted a number of American religions...and the ones he did include were not detailed enough. Each chapter dealing with a denomination is set up in a question / answer type senario. The author asks a question about the denomination and a guest "expert" answers the question. I for one did not like this approach. I found that the author did not always ask the same questions to all authors. How can one compare denominations if each expert gets different questions? Also, some of the questions asked by the author were of no relevence to me. Also....the experts on more than one occasion seem to skirt or gloss over answers...leaving the reader to make assumptions. Not Good. Bad Format for many reason too numerous to explain here. Do yourself a favor....get another book on the subject and leave this one alone.

J.B. Kruz
KruzKontrol

I inherited this book with the rest of my mother's books. It's now one of my favorite books in my personal library, due to the range of information it contains. If you are just interested in learning about various beliefs and practices, or looking for a faith that might be close to your own, or simply curious about the spiritual beliefs of your friends or loved ones, this book is great.

It provides a pretty good overview of each religion, and more than enough information to let you know if you would like to pursue your studies about a particular faith.

Yes, it is old, but so are the religions it covers. Relgions change, but not so much that this book can't give you an accurate and valuable glimpse into the doctrines and values of these religions. I would, however, love to see this book be revised.

My only complaint is that it does not contain other religions of America, like Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. Perhaps this is something that could be addressed if this book was revised.

I highly recommend this book. It's a great staple to have in your personal library.

If one recognizes right up front that the book was published in 1975 (and to my knowledge publishers don't change book titles with the passage of time - we still refer to the "new testament" as the "new" testament even though it's almost 2,000 years old) it is a useful resource for basic knowledge regarding many of America's religions and some related issues. While recognizing certain limitations exist due to its age, I thought the book provided a succinct and comprehensive look at a wide variety of religions and issues that are, not surprisingly, still relevant today. I would recommend this book for anyone seeking a "CliffsNotes" version of many of America's religions. I also liked the format of having people from each religion address each topic - it provided a good perspective on the topics without any author bias.

A fun grab-bag of quotes, not especially rigorously sourced or verified. Rosten quotes himself more than is seemly, but "He that tooteth not his own horn, the same shall go untootethed." A fine souvenir of the mensch who popularized Yiddish culture in America. Hours of fun & sharing guaranteed.

I haven't read the whole book, just seen a lot of the quotes on this online newsletter I get. I would also like to say that reading the other 2 reviews here cracked me up. Obviously, the one from Indiana was not as educated as the one from Colarado. Perhaps he/she didn't understand some of the quotes. I personally agree with the one from Colarado. The quotes are very funny and witty. Leo Rosten wrote quite a few of them himself. Hope you enjoy!

I have been very happy with this purchase. It serves my needs nicely. I always have a reference handy for birthdays,anniversaries and any other type of special occassion cards.