Mensa Book Of Words Word Games Puzzles And Oddities

Shocking origins! Altered meanings! Wild abuses of language! Who knew English was so full of fascinating surprises? For word lovers, these quizzes and games by Mensa member extraordinaire Dr. Abbie Salny will be a pure delight...and illuminating, too. She delves into the sometimes-unexpected etymology of a variety of words and reveals how they came to have their present meanings, examines derivations, and analyzes the frequently misunderstood, mispronounced, and misused. Then, she gathers them all into brain-teasing puzzles designed to test and improve the solver's vocabulary. For anyone seeking a bon mot or le mot juste, here's the place to find it!

To untangle the knot of interlocking meanings of these painted words, logophile and mythologist Phil Cousineau begins each fascinating word entry with his own brief definition. He then fills it in with a tint of etymology and a smattering of quotes that show how the word is used, ending with a list of companion words. The words themselves range from commonplace — like biscuit, a twice-baked cake for Roman soldiers — to loanwords including chaparral, from the Basque shepherds who came to the American West; words from myths, such as hector; metamorphosis words, like silly, which evolved holy to goofy in a mere thousand years; and words well worthy of revival, such as carrytale, a wandering storyteller. Whether old-fangled or brand new, all the words included in The Painted Word possess an ineffable quality that makes them luminous.

Learn how to manage stress and anxiety by retraining your brain with this book from the New York Times bestselling author of The ADD Answer and the chief content advisor for the Dr. Phil show. With his bestselling books, Frank Lawlis has brought psychological relief to millions. Now, he addresses one of the most common challenges of everyday life—dealing with stress and anxiety. In Retraining the Brain, Dr. Lawlis clearly explains the neurological factors that make stress so traumatizing and lays out a powerful plan for changing our brains to improve the way we cope. The secret is to take advantage of our brain plasticity, our ability to essentially reprogram the way we think simply by following this forty-five-day program to change our behavior. Drawing on his work at his renowned clinic, Dr. Lawlis takes us through the different types of stressors and shows how we can apply the principles of brain plasticity to hardwire new, healthier response patterns. With its simple but effective exercises, Retraining the Brain offers an exciting new method for reducing stress and increasing our overall happiness.

The author of The ADD Answer and The IQ Answer counsels families on how to reverse the stress response through strategic physical exercises, mental relaxation techniques, and nutritional practices designed to prevent stress-related illness. 50,000 first printing.

The English poet W.H. Auden was once asked to teach a poetry class. 200 students applied, but he only had space for 20. When asked how he chose his students, he said he picked only those who truly loved words. Wordcatcher is a book for just such people: people who are fascinated by words, their origins, history and meaning. Who would ever have thought the country of Canada was named after a mistake? Or that all the adventures of Ancient Greek sailors rest on the word 'nostalgia'? Cousineau's delightful and fascinating book is the perfect gift for anyone with a love of words.

DIVThe bestselling author of The Art of Pilgrimage and Once and Future Myths presents a selection of mind-bending brain teasers. Riddles by any name—enigmas, conundrum, word puzzles, teasers—have been posed since ancient times to test people’s wit and stretch their imaginations. Mythologist and adventurer Phil Cousineau resurrects this lost art form in A World Treasury of Riddles. Drawing from world literature, history, myth, and folklore, Cousineau has created a one-of-a-kind book that presents riddles from ancient Greece to the Ozarks, from Leonardo da Vinci to Lewis Carroll, and more. Previously published as Riddle Me This: A World Treasury of Word Puzzles, Folk Wisdom, and Literary Conundrums

Collection of word puzzles and mind games, including anagrams, acrostics, matrix problems and crosswords.