A wonderful companion for all world travelers,and those that wish they were. Small size makes it perfect to keep handy anywhere in your home or office.A quick reference resource for all atlas needs. Also makes a great little gift.

When I went for french immersion in Paris I had a horrible dictionary that was hard to read (not printed well) and the definitions were not constantly accurate and it wouldn't use examples of when to use certain words.

On the contrary, this dictionary was the only one my french tutors would accept and this dictionary not only gave examples of when to use the word but it was printed very nicely and they had almost every word I looked up. (I was looking up words like Pre-cambrian Period, so I was quite happy it had most of the words I looked up.)

I realize that this dictionary is expensive, but it's probably the best assest you can have for your french efforts. Each word is analyzed in context of certain sentences, so if you've seen a word used a certain way, it's very, very easy to find a translation. I used this dictionary the entire way through a 7-week no-english-allowed study in France, and I never had a single false quotation.

I think that another asset is the dictionary's liberal eye towards slang, rated in terms of familiarity/vulgarity, which is entirely unavoidable when you're using the language in a French-speaking country. There is also a center section full of extremely useful phrases rated once more in terms of formality. This version has more than 550,000 translations; I think you get what you pay for in the price.

The only knocks I could give this is that there is no distinction between Quebecois and native French; certain examples: "gosses" is only given as an informal way to say "kids," however, the word's usage in Quebec means "testicles." The dictionary does succeed, however, in differentiating between British English and American English.

This is quite simply the best English-Italian, Italian-English Dictionary there is - I am having to learn Italian fast, from scratch, one to one - and working in it at the same time. All the nuances are there. AND .......now my Italian teacher wants to buy it!!!!

Excellent,easy-to-use dictionary. Bold print for use of word in expressions makes scanning for applicable expressions much easier. Has more modern words and expressions than most other dictionaries-try a few test words when comparing dictionaries. However, the binding hasn't held up as well as hoped. My second copy has lost its cover.

This is a great dictionary, full of thorough definitions, slang usages and idioms, an invaluable tool for anyone learning or translating Spanish!

Very interesting book, not for beginners. My favorite chapters - about equations in free groups (Razborov's algorithm) and growth of groups.

Collins spoke at the CCCC conference this spring and I picked up a comp copy of his textbook. Apparently he's left teaching to write books full time, and if this textbook is any indication, the reading public's gain might be our loss. This is a first year college composition textbook, very progressive and in the vein of Dewey and Freire, with a heavy dose of logical reasoning, critical readings of sources, and media critique (a la Chomsky) thrown in for good measure. It's an activist approach to learning. He even has an appendix on how to use the Freedom of Information Act!

Collins builds this around a series of snowballing exercises -- recursive is the word, I guess -- that very nicely guide students from thinking about an issue that individually concerns them to becoming knowledgeable on that issue, and in the process picking up all the basics of research, writing, and revision skills. He has a final chapter on how to apply this knowledge to joining social service and activist groups, or things like service learning, though I do wish there was little more of "how do you enact the solutions you're arguing for?" The book's subject matter really does beg that question, and the book stops just short of answering it. But maybe that's too much to ask from a composition textbook.

It's frustrating how bland most comp textbooks are, how little they treat students as active community members with real concerns and uses for research. This book is a great corrective for that. (One caveat: its layout could use some work -- it's hard on the eyes at times.) If you're a progressive / cutting edge sort of comp instructor, you'll really like this. If you're looking for a more standard textbook, though, you might find it too provocative and political.

Like packing a laptop, this 650-page book covers every creature an East Coast nature lover could encounter, from starfish and sharks to rabbits and walruses. Very easy to identify your sighting with numerous color plates and vivid descriptions. Author, Collins, offers own observations and challenges the reader with unexpected wit and wisdom seldom found in nature books. 40 years old and shamefully out-of-print, if you find a copy, hold on to it!

If there is one message that comes through loud and clear in this book it is that retirement jobs, volunteer as well as paid will never equal the status of the job left behind. Face this quickly Collins says and move on. He causes the future retiree to think about the disadvantages of subsidizing adult children, suggests that while if you move to a new city you may be lonely, but can shed your old past and be accepted at a new social level. He also suggests ways of curtailing expenses in retirement such as using public transportation, and apartment living that does not have that new roof or paint job eat into your smaller income.It is too bad this book is out of print. It should be revised with new information about the Internet, etc.