"In this part-thesaurus, part-hilarious manual of style, Elster breaks down the most common mistakes of the English language."-
Booklist
If you have trouble distinguishing the verbs
imitate and
emulate, the relative pronouns
that and
which, or the adjectives
pliant,
pliable, and
supple, never fear-
How to Tell Fate from Destiny is here to help! With more than 500 headwords, the book is replete with advice on how to differentiate commonly confused words and steer clear of verbal trouble. Whether you're a
boomer, a
Gen-Xer, or a
millennial, if you
peruse,
browse, or even
skim these spindrift pages you
will (not
shall) become versed in the fine art of differentiation. You will learn, for example,
- how to tell whether you suffer from
pride,
vanity, or
hubris
- how to tell whether you're
contagious or
infectious
- how to tell if you're
pitiful or
pitiable
- how to tell if you're
self-centered or
self-absorbed
- how to live an
ethical life in a
moral universe
"This appealing book will help readers over countless lexical stumbling blocks, and encourage clearer and more precise speaking and writing."-
Publishers Weekly
"The author of this charming and useful book has made a career out of literary finesse. In his latest effort to 'clarify the mind and general discourse,' the 'professional distinctioneer' offers witty, wise advice on the right way to deploy some of the English language's trickiest words, from
aand
anto
zero, zeros, zeroes."-
Yale Alumni Magazine
