Author Archives: Specialist Online Dictionary

Pictorial Webster’s: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities [Hardcover]

Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities

Featuring over 1,500 engravings that originally graced the pages of Webster’s dictionaries in the 19th century, this chunky volume is an irresistible treasure trove for art lovers, designers, and anyone with an interest in visual history. Meticulously cleaned and restored by fine-press bookmaker Johnny Carrera, the engravings in Pictorial Webster’s have been compiled into an alluring and unusual visual reference guide for the modern day. Images range from the entirely mysterious to the classically iconic. From Acorns to Zebras, Bell Jars to Velocipedes, these alphabetically arranged archetypes and curiosities create enigmatic juxtapositions and illustrate the items deemed important to the Victorian mind. Sure to inspire and delight, Pictorial Webster’s is at once a fascinating historical record and a stunning jewel of a book.

About the Author

John M. Carrera is a printer, bookbinder, and artist who has taught and lectured extensively. He is the fo (more…)

Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less (Paperback)

Science in Seconds for Kids: Over 100 Experiments You Can Do in Ten Minutes or Less

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?A collection of quick, simple projects that use materials most kids will have around the house. Grouped into such subject areas as gravity, water, and light, most have just a few steps to follow. Instructions, illustrated by black-and-white drawings, are easy to understand and always note when adult help is needed. Each procedure is followed by an explanation of what should have happened and why. At times these explanations involve concepts that children might not easily grasp from the experiment alone. A description of light rays and focal points, for instance, is hard to follow without elaboration or diagrams. In another case, molecules are introduced as “…the smallest particles of a substance that can exist on their own,” which is accurate, but not the clearest way to describe them. Some activities are so predictable that reading about them can substitute for performing them. Other projects are more intriguing, such as using oi (more…)

The New York Times Ultimate Crossword Omnibus: 1,001 Puzzles from The New York Times (Paperback)

The New York Times Ultimate Crossword Omnibus: 1,001 Puzzles from The New York Times

There’s never been a crossword puzzle book like this one. Simply put, it offers more puzzles, more value, and more enjoyment than any other book on the market. It’s got: -An unbelievable 1,001 crossword puzzles-more than have ever appeared before in a single volume -An eye-catching cover design that stands out from the pack -The New York Times puzzles: the standard by which all others are measured -Hundreds of hours of puzzling fun for even the most accom-plished solver -All difficulty levels-from easy Monday puzzles through the Friday and Saturday end-of-the-week enigmas. ‘Will Shortz, crossword editor of The New York Times, is [the crossword book world’s] John Grisham.’ -Martin Arnold, The New York Times

About the Author

Will Shortz has been the crossword puzzle editor of The New York Times since 1993. Mr. Shortz founded both the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where he serves as director, and the World Puzzle Championship, where he is the (more…)

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