The Random House Dictionary of the English Language

by Jess Stein (Editor in Chief), Laurence Urdang (Managing Editor)

LC # 67-12237

Genres: Reference

2059 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each time I have moved, over the past forty-five years, this book has spoken to me, "Beyond me, there is need for none other." I know, when I have found a spot for dipping into the book, "the other boxes can wait:" it's time for coffee and a couple of words which had struck me since storing this monument.
Thank you, Random House.

[Amar Pai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grew up with this majestic tome... it's weird, dictionaries aren't really a thing any more. This book is HUGE and frankly somewhat padded, but you have to remember this came out in 1966... wikipedia didn't exist yet. Nothing existed yet. So they had to cram EVERYTHING into reference books. Still one wonders if it was really necessary to include a German-English dictionary, an Italian-American dictionary, an atlas, major mountain peaks, major dates in  world history, major foreign universities (?) ... but take all that out and you still have the most amazing compendium of knowledge imaginable.

How many words are in this book? I still learn new words in every issue of the New Yorker, god knows how many lurk in an unabridged dictionary.

I always had my eye on this book (my mom got it as a gift back when we were dirt poor living in Kansas-- she worked at a book shop-- it would be an expensive book now, lord knows how much it was then). Anyway she gave it to me a few years back. What a gift! One of my most cherished possessions. Kind of bums me out that Izzy will be unlikely to ever crack it. Got to admit, the internet is much more useful on a need to know basis. No dead tree dictionary's gonna pronounce synecdoche for you.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

The easiest to use most complete compact dictionary I have every used.

[Bill Daniels]

My mother gave me the dictionary for my birthday in the early seventies.

He got me through the service, undergraduate, and Law School.

I still keep it on my shelves.

[Bradley]

A good dictionary is a writer's best friend