Word Smart: Building an Educated Vocabulary

by Adam Robinson, The Princeton Review

The words people use say a lot about them. Some words say that they are smart, persuasive, and informed. Others say that they don't know what they're talking about. Knowing which words to use and how to use them are keys to getting the most from one's mind and to communicating effectively.

To find out which words readers absolutely need to know, The Princeton Review researched the vocabularies of educated adults. The Princeton Review analyzed newspapers from The New York Times to The Wall Street Journal , magazines from Time to Scientific American , and books from current bestsellers to classics. Editors threw out words that most people know and focused on the words that people misunderstand or misuse.

TPR also combed through the SAT and other standardized tests to determine which words are tested most frequently. In this updated third edition, editors give readers the most important words they need to know to score higher.

Includes special lists

• Common usage errors
• Most frequently tested words on standardized tests
• Foreign phrases, abbreviations, and terms readers need to know to understand finance, science, computers, and the arts

Genres: Reference, Language, Nonfiction, Self Help, Writing, Audiobook

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Zak Marcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied this book until it was in tatters. Still know about 90 percent of the words in it. Much better pronunciation method than any dictionary I've used. The word lists in the back were my favorite. I removed them and taped them to my walls.

[Caroline Mckiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this to help me with the GRE, and it's great because it makes words that are frequently used whose meanings often go unknown accessible.

I'm going to start helping my daughter improve her vocabulary with this.

Hands down better than the rest of the vocabulary improvement books out there :).

[Xiaohong Zhou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book help me to score 1800 GRE 21 years ago.
I just dug it out from a old bookcase, reviewed the words and memories of my youth.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a good book to stand alone for learning vocabulary, it works well as a supplement to another vocabulary program. As we learned new words in another vocabulary book, we looked them up in Word Smart, reading the entries and the example sentences. Its strengths are the selection of words commonly used in educated discourse, the good working definitions of the words in their most common usage, and the accompanying entertaining sentences. The weaknesses are that the entries are alphabetical rather than topical, which doesn't help students form connections between words, and that each word is only used in one exercise, which is inadequate review. I recommend it as a frequently used reference for vocabulary but not as a book to read and work through from beginning to end.

[Julene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet book! Like it says on the back, "improving your vocabulary is important, but where do you start?" This book has 823 words to build your vocab in an effective and fun format. I was recently reading another book and nearly every word I came across in it that I needed clarification on was in Word Smart. Some of my friends and I had a way fun time learning and using new words from this book!

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the reason I got a near perfect SAT verbal score (780!) The funny sentences help you remember what the words mean.

[Andrea]

I am always in the midst of 'reading' this one, along with it's companion, Word Smart II. Vocabulary in itself is a beautiful word and seeing it should be a constant journey.

[♥ Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very helpful to those who want to improve their vocabulary. The definitions were very easy to remember and less complicated than they can be in dictionaries.

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting; well organized and entertaining. I learned a word or two and I am very proud each time I have an opportunity to use one.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource for vocabulary.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

used audiobook

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good resource

[Carolyn Lockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource.

[Donald Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

very useful vocabulary book. The best thing is the book is accompanied with a record which you can listen to in order to consolidate the vocabulary.

[Yvette Zárate · Rating 4 out of 5]

good reference book. I read this in high school.

[Karen]

Still plugging along trying to enhance my vocabulary!