Dictionary of Fine Distinctions

Delightful Steven Pinker | A joy to read David Crystal | Gulp it down Lucy Mangan | A gem Simon Garfield

Swamp or bog? Guilt or shame? Clementine or tangerine? We like to think that we choose our words with care, but are we using them with any degree of accuracy - or should that be precision?

For hair-splitters and language lovers, Dictionary of Fine Distinctions explores the world of the vanishingly small, teasing apart the terms that we tend to collapse, conflate, or confuse. An illustrated odyssey into minute differences in meaning, Eli Burnstein's unputdownable guide will hone your wits, tickle your brain, and deepen your appreciation for the infinite (and infinitesimal) nuances all around us.