Book Description
This unique and celebrated biography describes how a largely self- educated boy from a small village in Scotland entered the world of scholarship and became the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary and a great lexicographer. It also provides an absorbing account of how the dictionary was written, the personalities of the people working on it, and the endless difficulties that nearly led to the whole enterprise being abandoned.
Customer Reviews:
OED.......2005-11-07
James Murray was a prodigy. He learned languages, geography, botany at an early age. He lived in Scotland. He was intrigued that his border language was identical to that of Northumberland and so that the English-Scots boundary had no linguistic significance. He was always learning, always collecting knowledge.
In two years at school he learned four languages. After school he was tutored in two more by a family friend, Italian and German. His family did not send him to grammar school at Melrose because there were other boys to educate. He became an assistant master when he was seventeen. By 1857 he was developing an interest in philology. Seeing Anglo-Saxon put him into a high state of excitement. He moved to London and started to work at Russian. He wrote THE DIALECT OF THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF SCOTLAND.
James Murray was respected by Morris, Ellis, Sweat, Skeat--men instrumental in revolutionizing the science of etymology. In 1868 at the Philological Society Murray encountered Frederick Furnivall. Furnivall was an inveterate founder of organizations for the study of English. Murray became an editor of the dictionary project of the Philological Society after the first editor, Herbert Coleridge, died. Borrowing the method of work from the Germans, Coleridge had started in 1860 with fifty four pigeon-holes. James Murray was named editor in 1877.
Ultimately there were sixteen thousand pages of the OED. Murray died in July 1915. The last portion of the dictionary appeared in 1928. Supplements to the dictionary were issued in 1933 and 1972. There are two appendices, notes, and an index in this very good book.
The most comprehensive biography of the father of the OED.......2002-05-17
Elisabeth Murray writes a wonderful and highly detailed biography of her grandfather, James Murray. Simon Winchester reintroduced many in this country to Mr. Murray in his book The Professor and the Madman, which told the story of Murray and an American living in an English asylum named W. C. Minor. This book was highly readable, but not comprehensive as a true biography of Murray.
James Murray, the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, was a gentle man of words who dedicated his life to the study of the English Language. His efforts are best understood in this book by the descriptions Elisabeth gives of his scriptorum, where Murray spent the majority of his life, and where Elisabeth worked as a young lady.
In reading about this man's life and the effort that was required to undertake the construction of this dictionary, one really gets a sense of the vastness and complexity of the English Language, the historical richness and the regional diversity. One also sees in florid detail the life of one of the great late-Victorian pedants.
Fascinating history of a great man and a great work.......2001-03-04
This is really two books in one: the life story of James Murray, first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the tale of the dictionary itself. Both are lovingly told. It's a must read for anyone interested in dictionaries or linguistics.
"J. Murray more major than W.C. Minor".......2001-02-28
Elizabeth Murray, the granddaughter of James Murray, who was the chief editor of the huge Oxford English Dictionary on which every serious scholar of English continues to depend, has written an excellent biography of the greatest English lexicographer, and done more: she has also given an insight into his personality, and, yet more importantly, into the whole scholarly world of philology, lexicography etc. in Victorian England, and the difficulties which beset the creators of the dictionary. I recommend the biography most highly, and feel that all fans of *The Surgeon of Crowthorne* (chiefly on Dr W.C. Minor) should read this - preferably BEFORE that book (so as to get a sense of context), but otherwise after. - Joost Daalder, Professor of English, Flinders University (see "More about me')
Well written, but perhaps a bit self-serving?.......2000-06-23
I enjoyed this book for the most part. It really conveys the sense of martyrdom that Murray must have felt during the 30-some years that he worked on the Dictionary. After a while, however, it got a little old--chapter after chapter describing the horrible deprivation Murray suffered at the hands of the Delagacy of the Oxford University Press into which he was virtually forced.
Whenever there were "good years", the book would read something like "...and then the Delagacy let up on the poor guy for a while, but then so-and-so was named the new Secretary and he turned out to be an idiot". Then the author (actually Murray's granddaughter) spends another chapter detailing how so-and-so made Murray's life a living hell.
Like I said before, this gets to be tiring. It seems as if she has an axe to grind with the OUP after all these years and has made the main point of this book to be a crusade of some sort. She wants the world to know just how much pain and suffering dear old granddad went through. I couldn't help thinking that, in reality, he was just some kind of ultra-perfectionist nutcase and somewhat of a big crybaby.
Other than that, I recommend the book as being informative and interesting.
Average customer rating:
|
Caught in the Web of Words: James A. H. Murray Ahd the Oxford English Dictionary
K. M. Elisabeth Murray
Manufacturer: Yale Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
English (All)
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Dictionaries & Thesauruses
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Encyclopedias
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Linguistics
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Foreign Languages
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
19th Century
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Professor and the Madman
ASIN: 0300021313 |
Average customer rating:
|
British Cinema in Documents
Sarah Street
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History
| Subjects
| Books
| Africa
| Americas
| Ancient
| Arctic & Antarctica
| Asia
| Australia & Oceania
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Europe
| Gay & Lesbian
| Historical Study
| Large Print
| Middle East
| Military
| Military Science
| Russia
| United States
| World
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0415168015 |
Book Description
Street draws together a wide range of material from oral histories, film posters and star memorabilia to audience surveys and fan magazines to enrich our understanding of cinema's place in national culture. She utilizes a series of case studies including film censorship during World War II, fan cultures surrounding stars from Margaret Lockwood to Ewan McGregor and surveys of the British cinema audience to illustrate how archival research can provide a new understanding of the relationship between film and other kinds of texts and between film, the audience and the state.
Average customer rating:
|
Black Film, British Cinema (ICA Documents)
Manufacturer: Institute of Contemporary Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
African-American Studies
| Special Groups
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0905263960 |
Average customer rating:
- An interesting part of the series
- Clarification
- Simplistic, biased, and misleading
- Wonderful book...
|
Biomedical Ethics: Opposing Viewpoints
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Ethics
| Business Life
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Medical Ethics
| Physician & Patient
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Medical Ethics
| Medicine
| Medical
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
jp-unknown2
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1565107934 |
Customer Reviews:
An interesting part of the series.......2004-09-19
The Opposing Viewpoints series is a series of books I first found several years ago when looking for pro and con information for papers for high school students I was tutoring. They provide articles and chapters on different sides - the "opposing viewpoints" - of the arguments and topics they cover. They are written at advanced high school and early college levels.
This book on Biomedical Ethics I have used a few times. The area of biomedical ethics is a growing and diverse field because technological advances keep increasing, as do the questions that exist around the limits of life at the beginning and the end. There are also quality of life issues to consider. Some issues seem to be very simple, but others become very complex. Can we provide unlimited medical care to everyone? Who gets to decide treatment? Can a terminally ill patient decide for himself to stop treatment? Are systems set up so that they are fair?
The introduction brings up these questions. The author uses the example of Mickey Mantle, who managed to avoid the national waiting list when he needed an organ transplant -- was that fair? Since his illness was caused by years of substance abuse, is that fair? Other examples include the possible uses of the Human Genome Project, cloning, animal testing in research, and more.
This is a good and balanced book overall. It includes a good set chapters in the appendix on organizations to contact and study questions as well as excertps from original documents in the field.
The author, Terry O'Neill, is a magazine editor, has edited other volumes of this series and others for the Greenhaven Press, and taught in high school English and social studies classes.
Clarification.......2001-09-19
I am the editor of this book and would like to make some clarifications concerning the reviews for this book.
I believe the two previous reviewers are discussing a different book than Biomedical Ethics: Opposing Viewpoints edited by Tamara L. Roleff for Greenhaven Press. Greenhaven Press also owns Lucent Books, and Lucent has published two other books titled Biomedical Ethics. I believe the reviews published below should go with one of the Lucent Books. For one thing, this book does not include a timeline, a copy of a uniform donor card, a copy of the Nuremburg Code or black-and-white photos.
As to BK Peters' objections to using "biased" and "value laden" arguments, that is the whole point of the Opposing Viewpoints books. Each book presents previously published articles supporting or opposing a particular point of view. The intent is to get the reader to consider the pro argument, then read the con argument, consider the merits of each argument and decide for him/herself which argument they believe is valid. Including "urban legends" and other goofy reasoning is part of the process and is designed to show the reader how far out some arguments truly are. The Opposing Viewpoints books are designed to present the different sides of the issue.
Simplistic, biased, and misleading.......2001-06-20
While I understand the desire to make the concepts simpler when the target audience is young adults, I found this book to be low in quality as compared to other ethics texts, including others in the Opposing Viewpoints series. I do believe that it is essential to teach youngsters about ethics. However, they cannot be taught critical thinking via using clearly biased and therefore misleading arguments (the "for" animal experimentation section was actually "against", with the strongest "for" arguments I have seen from other sources being left out completely). Nor is it appropriate to use urban legends as 'evidence' in the debate (kidnapped for organs! Oh my! Check snopes2.com next time). Nor should one use confusing, value laden language to support one side and denigrate the other (clones "WILL" be considered lower caste; clones "MAY" be affected by their environment). And if examples are used, they should illustrate the point, not confuse it further (Genetic Testing is Harmful, p. 57). Anyone using this book to teach would be well advised to seek some pro-science backup to balance out this text and be well-informed from other reputable sources such as the Kennedy Institute or Hastings Center.
Wonderful book..........2000-12-11
This book was great. I used it to research an essay. It was the only source I needed! It was great having both sides of an arguement in the same book. There were lot's of pertinent facts about the topic in all of the articles. As with all of the Opposing Viewpoints series, this one was great. I recommend anyone interested in such a field or if you're doing a research paper like myself to buy it.
Average customer rating:
|
Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints - Genetic Engineering (Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints)
Scott Barbour
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
General
| Social Science
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Issues
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Philosophy
| Reference & Nonfiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Biology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Teen Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0737732237 |
Book Description
Plants, humans and microorganisms are all subjects of genetic engineering, a procedure with potential to intentionally eliminate diseases and modify physical traits. But what alterations are safe and ethical? This anthology explores issues raised by the promises of genetic science, genetically modified foods and human cloning.
Average customer rating:
|
Opposing Viewpoints Series - Genetic Engineering (paperback edition) (Opposing Viewpoints Series)
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
Biology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Genetics
| Evolution
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Bioengineering
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Genetics
| Evolution
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Teen Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0737722371 |
Book Description
Fears about the dangers of human cloning, the impact of genetically engineered babies, and the risks of genetically modified foods continue to stimulate the debate over genetic engineering. In this newly updated anthology, authors submit their views about the risks and benefits of genetic engineering and how genetic engineering should be regulated, if at all.
Average customer rating:
|
Genetic Engineering (Opposing Viewpoints)
William Dudley
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Ethics & Morality
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0899084524 |
Average customer rating:
|
Genetic Engineering: Opposing Viewpoints
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
Ethics
| Business Life
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Natural History
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1565103599 |
Customer Reviews:
No biased info!.......2001-01-08
I found this book interesting because most books that examine controversial topics tend to hang in one direction or another, but since this book collected info. from many different viewpoints I was able to examine genetic engineering fairly without the bias found in normal books. Great for debate situations!
Average customer rating:
|
Genetic Engineering: Opposing Viewpoints
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
General
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Genetics
| Evolution
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| History & Philosophy
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Bioengineering
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Biotechnology
| Biological Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Genetics
| Evolution
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0737705116 |
Average customer rating:
|
Is Genetic Engineering Ethical (Opposing Viewpoints Pamphlets)
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Genetics
| Evolution
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Genetics
| Evolution
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 089908835X |
Average customer rating:
|
Does Genetic Engineering Improve Agriculture (Opposing Viewpoint Pamphlet)
Manufacturer: Greenhaven Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
General
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0899089631 |
Average customer rating:
|
The Sociable: Or 1001 Home Amusements
George Arnold
Manufacturer: Applewood Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History
| Subjects
| Books
| Africa
| Americas
| Ancient
| Arctic & Antarctica
| Asia
| Australia & Oceania
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Europe
| Gay & Lesbian
| Historical Study
| Large Print
| Middle East
| Military
| Military Science
| Russia
| United States
| World
General
| Puzzles & Games
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Americana
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Family Activities
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Parenting Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Accessories:
-
philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
ASIN: 1557095604 |
Book Description
One of the most popular family books ever published. It is a collection of amusements, including parlor theatricals, games of action, games of memory, games requiring wit, ruses, forfeits, puzzles, fireside games for winter evenings, and science, and parlor magic. Filled with over 300 wood engravings which clarify the text and fully explain all the puzzles and other things difficult to describe in writing. This book is sure to entertain any old-fashioned gathering.
Customer Reviews:
mostly helpful, not for Mac.......2007-04-04
Helpful for beginners and more well-versed users, though very heavy with busy work. The explanations are pretty clear and simple, and if practice makes perfect, you'd be close to that end after completing everything in this book.
WARNING FOR MAC USERS: don't get this book. It is intended for the PC version of Office, and even though you can still stumble through, most of the shortcuts are slightly different, and the overall way to do things can vary. It's a mess if you have to take this for a class and have a Mac, so think twice before taking such a class.
Average customer rating:
|
Exploring Microsoft Office 2003 Enhanced Edition- Adhesive
Robert T. Grauer , and
Maryann Barber
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Office
| Applications
| Microsoft
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Accounting
| Business
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Business
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Software
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Computer Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Computers & Internet
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0132370387 |
Books:
- Chairman of the Fed: William McChesney Martin Jr., and the Creation of the Modern American Financial System
- Citadel on the Mountain A Memoir of Father and Son
- Cold War and The Income Tax: A Protest
- Confessions of an Enron Executive: A Whistleblower's Story
- Corporate Income Taxation and Foreign Direct Investment in Central and Eastern Europe (Foreign Investment Advisory Service Occasional Paper, No 4)
- Creative Politics: Taxes and Public Goods in a Federal System
- Crossing the Water: Eighteen Months on an Island Working with Troubled Boys-a Teacher's Memoir
- Dark Hero Of The Information Age: In Search of Norbert Wiener The Father of Cybernetics
- Direct from Dell: Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry (Collins Business Essentials)
- Eric Moon: The Life and Library Times
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Rimbaud: A Biography
- The Complete Book Of Sauces
- Sylvie and Bruno
- Showing Our True Colors
- Real Men Do It Better
- Molecular Gas Dynamics and the Direct Simulation of Gas Flows
- Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution, and Epistemolo
- Princes of the Yen: Japan's Central Bankers and the Transformation of the Economy
- Tapping your secret source of power
- Orchid Man: The Life, Work and Memoirs of the Rev. H.M.R. Rupp, 1872-1956
Lost for Words: The Hidden History of the Oxford English Dictionary
Chasing the Sun: Dictionary-Makers and the Dictionaries They Made
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography
