<p>“When a word perfectly captures a human truth, humans respond to itin the same way that they respond to a beautiful melody. They smile.They nod their heads. They tell others of their discovery.” So saysSimon Hertnon in his introduction to <em>Endangered Words</em>, andafter wrapping your tongue around the lexical rarities he offers up tohis readers, you'll have to agree! Hertnon provides one hundredhand-selected rarities, and, in a virtuoso display of <em>concinnity</em> and <em>logodaedaly</em>, breathes life into them with his lucid descriptions of their meaning and engaging examples of their usage.</p><p>Thanks to <em>Endangered Words</em>,you no longer have to be at a loss for words or reach for the clichédand commonplace. The English language is brimming with ambrosialalternatives, and this compendium offers the cream of the crop.</p><p>Filled with words to be treasured for their elegant precision, from <em>anacampserote</em> to <em>sprezzatura</em> to <em>zemblanity</em>, <em>Endangered Words</em>is the perfect handbook for writers, an excellent resource forcommunicators, and an entertaining read for anyone with an appetite forthe very brightest gems of the English language.</p>