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The Everything Learning Latin Book
Latin is a living, breathing language! Many of the English words you use today, such as ad hoc, memorandum, et cetera, and habitat, are based on Latin roots. A basic understanding of Latin will vastly improve your English vocabulary and provide keys to understanding legal, medical, and scientific nomenclature. The Everything® Learning Latin Book builds upon what you already know about English to teach you the basics of Latin grammar, usage, and vocabulary. Through step-by-step instruction, practical exercises, and cultural information, The Everything® Learning Latin Book will have you speaking like a Roman in no time. Other features
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 25, 2023
I'm not a fan at all of this work, but the 2003 original
was really destroyed by the formatting and editing in 2014
with a slight name change, and frankly, it went from poor to terrible
Some don't think one should waste their time with either version, however, i say similar things about Wheelock's Latin
---
Amazone
A Confusing and Slapdash Work
4/10
It appears the author was just trying to get something published. The lessons on Latin use and grammar are rushed, incomplete, and confusing.
For examples, on page 174, when discussing the present, indicative, passive, the author instructs the reader to "read down the paradigm for 'ago'", but then gives no paradigm for "ago".
On page 190, we're told "the supine/perfect passive participle is made by adding -tus to the base of the verb"; the examples the book then gives adds -tum to the base.
Further, the book has multiple typos and errors, has eliminated excerpts from Latin writers, and, in the exercises, uses words not given in the vocabulary.
You'll need a good Latin dictionary to do the exercises, for the meager "Latin-English Vocabulary" in the appendix is woeful.
The cursory explanations on how Latin works leave the student much to figure out on his or her own. Don't waste your time or money on this.
If you want a comprehensive, clearly-written and complete explanation on Latin, go with Wheelock's. Better yet is the Lingua Latina series by Hans Orberg. Both are much more clear, solid, and professional.
Harold
---
Not a fan of Wheelock at all
and Orberg isn't my style
---
About the 2003 Original and the 2014 reprint/revision
Bad Re-Print by Simon & Schuster
4/10
This 2014 book is word-for-word identical to the author's 2003 publication The Everything Learning Latin Book published by Adams Media, which was very well done - highly enjoyable.
We had a great time reading the original 2003 book cover-to-cover, and learned a lot of Latin
This 2014 're-print' by Simon & Schuster is BADLY done. The print is very faint, small - hard to read - highly annoying.
The excellent helpful 2003 formatting is now gone or subdued. The paper is very cheap - making the faint print even harder to read. And this 2014 version is missing the last two chapters
Hey Simon & Schuster, if you're going to all the trouble to re-publish a book then why not use enough G***damned ink and some quality paper so people can read the print. And if you're not improving the formatting, then don't destroy the excellent formatting from the original version.
Who are the idiots running Simon & Schuster these days ?
The original 2003 publication is GREAT
This 2014 're-print' is LOUSY.
Try to get a used copy of the 2003 version
Lucchese
---
However, Prior's biography may be of interest to some
Richard E. Prior
1962-2010
RICHARD EDMON PRIOR was born in Syracuse, New York, to Edmon and Stella Beaulieu Prior in 1962. At Baldwinsville High School in 1980, he accomplished the rare feat of receiving a New York State Regents diploma in four languages.
His amazing Sprachgefühl ultimately gave him fluency in French, Spanish, German, and Italian and a working knowledge of Japanese, Sanskrit, Finnish, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.
He graduated as a Latin major with a certification in teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1985) and taught in junior and senior high schools in North Carolina and Virginia, initiating the study of Greek at the high-school level in the Southeast in 1986.
He received an M.A. from the University of Maryland (1991), and a Ph.D. from SUNY-Buffalo (1994), after which he taught at Furman University until his death, chairing the Department of Classics in 2009-10.
He was a Life Member of The Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) and Vice-President for South Carolina from 2001-2010. His summer expeditions with devoted students traversed Italy and offered the same wealth or knowledge and good humor that he displayed as a commentator for programs on the National Geographic and History channels.
His research specialty was Latin pedagogy, beginning with 501 Latin Verbs (1995) through Latin Demystified: A Self Teacher (2008).
He was a Buddhist who played the French horn and ice hockey. He adored Virgil, all dogs, winemaking, Buddhism, and his painting of Elvis on black velvet. He and his partner, Scott Henderson, were together for 24 years. He died at 47 from pneumonia on 24 August 2010.
was really destroyed by the formatting and editing in 2014
with a slight name change, and frankly, it went from poor to terrible
Some don't think one should waste their time with either version, however, i say similar things about Wheelock's Latin
---
Amazone
A Confusing and Slapdash Work
4/10
It appears the author was just trying to get something published. The lessons on Latin use and grammar are rushed, incomplete, and confusing.
For examples, on page 174, when discussing the present, indicative, passive, the author instructs the reader to "read down the paradigm for 'ago'", but then gives no paradigm for "ago".
On page 190, we're told "the supine/perfect passive participle is made by adding -tus to the base of the verb"; the examples the book then gives adds -tum to the base.
Further, the book has multiple typos and errors, has eliminated excerpts from Latin writers, and, in the exercises, uses words not given in the vocabulary.
You'll need a good Latin dictionary to do the exercises, for the meager "Latin-English Vocabulary" in the appendix is woeful.
The cursory explanations on how Latin works leave the student much to figure out on his or her own. Don't waste your time or money on this.
If you want a comprehensive, clearly-written and complete explanation on Latin, go with Wheelock's. Better yet is the Lingua Latina series by Hans Orberg. Both are much more clear, solid, and professional.
Harold
---
Not a fan of Wheelock at all
and Orberg isn't my style
---
About the 2003 Original and the 2014 reprint/revision
Bad Re-Print by Simon & Schuster
4/10
This 2014 book is word-for-word identical to the author's 2003 publication The Everything Learning Latin Book published by Adams Media, which was very well done - highly enjoyable.
We had a great time reading the original 2003 book cover-to-cover, and learned a lot of Latin
This 2014 're-print' by Simon & Schuster is BADLY done. The print is very faint, small - hard to read - highly annoying.
The excellent helpful 2003 formatting is now gone or subdued. The paper is very cheap - making the faint print even harder to read. And this 2014 version is missing the last two chapters
Hey Simon & Schuster, if you're going to all the trouble to re-publish a book then why not use enough G***damned ink and some quality paper so people can read the print. And if you're not improving the formatting, then don't destroy the excellent formatting from the original version.
Who are the idiots running Simon & Schuster these days ?
The original 2003 publication is GREAT
This 2014 're-print' is LOUSY.
Try to get a used copy of the 2003 version
Lucchese
---
However, Prior's biography may be of interest to some
Richard E. Prior
1962-2010
RICHARD EDMON PRIOR was born in Syracuse, New York, to Edmon and Stella Beaulieu Prior in 1962. At Baldwinsville High School in 1980, he accomplished the rare feat of receiving a New York State Regents diploma in four languages.
His amazing Sprachgefühl ultimately gave him fluency in French, Spanish, German, and Italian and a working knowledge of Japanese, Sanskrit, Finnish, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese.
He graduated as a Latin major with a certification in teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1985) and taught in junior and senior high schools in North Carolina and Virginia, initiating the study of Greek at the high-school level in the Southeast in 1986.
He received an M.A. from the University of Maryland (1991), and a Ph.D. from SUNY-Buffalo (1994), after which he taught at Furman University until his death, chairing the Department of Classics in 2009-10.
He was a Life Member of The Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) and Vice-President for South Carolina from 2001-2010. His summer expeditions with devoted students traversed Italy and offered the same wealth or knowledge and good humor that he displayed as a commentator for programs on the National Geographic and History channels.
His research specialty was Latin pedagogy, beginning with 501 Latin Verbs (1995) through Latin Demystified: A Self Teacher (2008).
He was a Buddhist who played the French horn and ice hockey. He adored Virgil, all dogs, winemaking, Buddhism, and his painting of Elvis on black velvet. He and his partner, Scott Henderson, were together for 24 years. He died at 47 from pneumonia on 24 August 2010.
March 6, 2017
Makes Latin an easy and fun language to learn.
March 10, 2010
I loved this book,It's an excellent Latin Grammar review book, with the new discoveries of the Latin language, Proto-Indo-European, being used to help difficult grammar concepts to you.
Very easy to read through.
Very easy to read through.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews