My Ten Favorite Reference Books (Ones You May Not Know About)

In which I list out my favorite reading and learning resources.
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To Support the Channel (Thank You): ko-fi.com/toreadersitmayconcern
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Chapters:
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00:00 Intro
02:57 History of Ideas
06:24 New History of Ideas
10:30 Literary Terms & Literary Theory
15:32 Philosophy & Psychology
18:25 Politics
20:15 Theories
22:56 Thesaurus
24:49 Usage
27:16 Global Culture
29:39 Bonus Reference & Anthology
32:52 Outro
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Books Featured and Extra Ones Suggested by Viewers (With Amazon Links):
[Let me know if links break.]
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Dictionary of the History of Ideas: amzn.to/3Ucb6Ek
New Dictionary of the History of Ideas: amzn.to/3PTaUaM
The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms & Literary Theory: amzn.to/3VPAVeR
A History of Literary Criticism by M.A.R. Habib: amzn.to/3vMTJRf
The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy: amzn.to/3Jf0lej
The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology: amzn.to/3Q1WJ31
Safire's Political Dictionary: amzn.to/3vPaqeS
Dictionary of Theories: amzn.to/3vMvJxA
The Dictionary of Global Culture: amzn.to/3Uaazmu
The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus: amzn.to/4aMuv4i
Garner's Modern English Usage: amzn.to/3xta9i1
Art in Theory 1900-2000: amzn.to/4avgrfV
The Emotion Thesaurus: amzn.to/3PYOchd
Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics: amzn.to/3w1efgX
The Dictionary of Untranslatables: amzn.to/3vL1Xtg
Dictionary of Indo-European Concepts and Society: amzn.to/3Q5ZCQl
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: amzn.to/3UjyLTC
The Syntopicon: amzn.to/3UksRSe
The New Fontana Dictionary Of Thought: amzn.to/3vPRLj7
Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies: amzn.to/49G0suj
The Oxford English Dictionary (20-Volume Set): amzn.to/3JvDtHI
The World of Mathematics: amzn.to/4d7zGO3
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics: amzn.to/3xPVo9i
Collier's Encyclopedia: amzn.to/4dhRg1V
The Timetables of History: amzn.to/3xSvZvC
Flew's Dictionary of Philosophy: amzn.to/3Qq9pRu
The Browser's Book of Beginnings: amzn.to/3UtSLSp
Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things: amzn.to/3WrWCSh
Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology: amzn.to/3UsQS8p
The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations: amzn.to/4dAklpN
The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology (1966 ed.): amzn.to/4afnMPR
Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion: amzn.to/3QDhQZH
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language: amzn.to/4acmWmL
An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language: amzn.to/4ag1MV1
The Encyclopedia of Philosophy: amzn.to/3QNUW1S
Who's Who in the Middle Ages: amzn.to/4bFnV02
Great Books of the Western World (60 Volumes): amzn.to/4bxry8a
The Dictionary of Important Ideas and Thinkers: amzn.to/4dKqHms
The Annals of America (22 Volumes): amzn.to/4dYQtDI
Webster's International and Seven Language Dictionary: amzn.to/3wGJVsy
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics: amzn.to/3QWej9c
The New Dictionary Of Cultural Literacy: amzn.to/3X423HH
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2024: amzn.to/4bVEPaU
The International Encyclopedia of Ethics: amzn.to/4bAbDGs
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I can create these links for any books I choose, so this does not affect my choice of what books to cover for this channel.

[@rjwh67220]

My favorite reference book is the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, the go to book for lovers of the English language. I love just flopping it open and reading about whatever pops up, and of course looking up specific words. It discusses origins of the word and shows examples of how it was used throughout literary history. I would hate to not have my own copy. It ain’t cheap, but whether you’re ready cough up the price will show how much you love the English language. The OED, get yours today.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

You've certainly left me tempted. Time to clear off some shelf space.

[@RealDevastatia]

Webster's Unabridged 2nd Edition is a good choice. You'll need a large flat surface for it, not just some shelf space.

[@JamesRuchala]

Great overview of reference books. When I was a kid I bought an encyclopedia at a garage sale and loved bouncing from one article to another on that web way. The first history of ideas sounds like exactly what I need

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, nice to see you here (I watch your channel). Reference books have that great quality of taking you out of your own self-directed seeking. When searching online we kind of know what we want to look for. Sifting through these books becomes actual discovery in areas we would least expect, disconnected from whatever else we seemingly understand.

[@GrabbandeseNuts]

I have been a life-long reader and have a deep respect for literature. The fact that you are willing to not only share a method to understanding the words on the page but also guiding the viewer in the right path by putting links to the resources shows that you are truly enamored by the art of literature. I have a deep and earnest respect for you. Stay classy.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Wow, these are such kind words. Thank you so much! Living in literature is to live beyond fashion. It says much about you that you adore language and story and the play therein with ideas, sound, and imagery. It is hard to be a reader at this point in time-temptations galore-and so for you to be one says much good about you. Thank you for being here in my comments. I hope I inspire new branches along your reading journey.

[@RealDevastatia]

*The World Almanac and Book of Facts* is handy for quick reference and current statistics on a wide variety of subjects.

[@geordiejones5618]

Highly recommend a usage dictionary for any writer who is either trying to improve their prose or is grinding through the editing process. Much more useful than a normal dictionary.

[@readreadofficial]

Note to Self: Watch these videos with caution, otherwise I will find myself impulse-buying too many books :D

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

That's the burden we place on each other here in BookTube: I bought it, now you have to too!

[@TheMargarita1948]

Yes, caution is in order. It’s too easy to confuse buying the book with reading the book.

[@julianparks8485]

Grammar and punctuation

[@charlesspringer4709]

H. G. Wells "History of the World". Will Durant "History of Philosophy". Skeat "Etymology of the English Language", earliest edition you can find. All three are Pre-Modern, which means they are "pre-feelings" and pre-psychology in the way those things color everything today. Good for context of older material - and maybe some truths that are overlooked today.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Excellent. Thank you! I might do a video someday on great historical overviews. The first two would fit perfectly for that!

[@gnosis555]

Those books just were so much clearer, precise, fact based and dense with understanding. Books today can’t make a single point and are filled with politically correct qualifications and fluff. Don’t get me started on the lame, mediocre, workman-like prose as glib and devoid of substance a scholarly book should not be.

[@charlesspringer4709]

@@gnosis555 Today's text books are stupidly large and heavy. They have way too much white space, narrow text space and very wide margins full of cheesy drawings of diverse students doing ??? and lost of distracting material. If they were written clearly none of that is needed, except the diversity message required by the US Common Core instructions that lay out all the boxes you must check in each lesson plan.

[@brenboothjones]

‘Rummaging’ is such a fun and fitting word for exploring reference books. Another fantastic video!

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

These can be such treasures if we allow ourselves to sift a while. Many of the most readily useful of these works I have seated in their own mini-bookshelf beside my reading chair. The nearer to hand the more likely I am to explore. Thank you for being one of the first viewers here-Always great to see you in the comments (and now you have such an exuberant smile for your photo, which is so fitting for the positive adoration of literature your channel provides)!

[@NameRequiredSoHere]

After watching this video I was fortunate to get a rare copy of the set of The Dictionary of Ideas from the 1970s. Such a pleasure to be able to "surf" without the Internet.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, that is fantastic! Take your time with it. Seek. Jump around. The entries are extensive and dense and not for skimming and always rewarding.

[@allen5455]

"Dictionary of the History of Ideas" is important. But may be Catholic and "moral," emphasizing ethics. Another fine reference set is "The Encyclopedia of Philosophy." One more: "Who's Who in the Middle Ages." But "Great Books of the Western World" is a must!

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Excellent! All have been added to the video description. Thank you!

[@HeyMykee]

I've got the Encyclopdeia of Philosophy. It's an excellent resource.

[@Dirkkkkk]

pesky ethics and morals … getting in the way of modern “wisdom” 😏

[@rich_in_paradise]

Wow, I never thought in all of booktube that I'd find another person who enjoyed reading reference books like I do :) Anyway, just dropping a comment to say that the Dictionary of the History of Ideas sounds similar to The Syntopicon, which forms the first two volumes of Britannica's Great Books of the Western World (was possibly influenced by it given the publishing dates?) Although in the Syntopicon, the goal was not only to talk about ideas, but also specifically to index the ideas as dealt with in the texts included in the book set.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

Wonderful overview! I would like to recommend Bertrand Russell's 1945 _A History of Western Philosophy_ . Russell won the 1950 Nobel Prize for Literature and this was one of the books cited. It has 3 sections: Ancient, Catholic, and Modern Philosophy, mainly organized with a chapter for each philosopher so one can use it as a reference book. Russell was himself a famous philosopher and mathematician, known for Russell's Paradox, and he has his own opinion on most of the philosophers and philosophies mentioned, but distinguishes it from the opinion of the profession. As greenloeb mentions above it is pretty dated

[@TheJohnblyth]

Russell’s always fun. I don’t agree with all of his assertions, but he’ll never stop being an inspiration.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

@@TheJohnblyth I guess that's why I like him, he's inspiring. He lived his convictions. He was a pacifist and did time in prison for opposing the British gov entry into WW1. In the 1960s he was active in the antinuclear weapon and Vietnam War protests.

[@edanacichanowicz1711]

Retired reference librarian. This is brilliant!❤

[@bfitzger2]

The Dictionary of the History of Ideas (1974 edition) is available online: xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=DicHist/uvaBook/tei/DicHist3.xml

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

This is very cool! Appears to be a sample of one volume, though. I'm not seeing a way to access the whole collection (unless I'm missing something).

[@anitapaul7267]

Amanda Montell's 'Wordslut' book, is my personal favourite. Amanda Montell, reporter and feminist linguist, deconstructs language-from insults, cursing, gossip, and catcalling to grammar and pronunciation patterns-to reveal the ways it has been used for centuries to keep women and other marginalized genders from power. A MUST read in my world. You will laugh out loud and learn at same time.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thank you so much! I love these sorts of recommendations (a book I've seen around here and there but not had the spur to get until you)!

[@undinae]

My fascination has always been with the words themselved, and therefore my wishlist is topped by "The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology", 1966 edition . I have "The Consise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology", 1996 edition, which is very good but has about half as many entries. Another great reference book for Shakespeare fans is "Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion" by David and Ben Crystal. David Crystal is one of the greatest writers on the subject of English language writing today, and I have half a dozen of his books and would love to have more. It is well worth taking a browse through his bibliography as there is something for almost everyone who loves language and the English language in particular. (Ben Crystal is his son, and a Shakesperean actor.) Another that I would love to get is "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language" 2018 edition, edited by David Crystal, but I already have so many books on the English language which I acquired while studying for my English Language degree, that I really can't justify buying another.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

These sound wonderful (Shakespeare's Words is especially new to me)! Thank you so much! Also, is there a particular reason you suggest the 2018 3rd edition instead of the latest 4th edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English language?

[@undinae]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern Hi. Sorry I didn't reply earlier. The 3rd edition is the latest edition. The 4th edition you speak of looks similar and is also edited by David Crystal, but it is an encyclopedia of general knowledge, rather than one specifically for the english language. That one almost caught me out as well.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

@@undinae Ohhh, thank you so much for clearing that up!

[@wuggish]

This is quickly becoming my favourite book channel on KZbin.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Wow, that feels great to read! Thank you! I'll do my best to keep the quality high.

[@dante.nathanael]

Yes! Everyone has told me that it isn't worth even buying a dictionary, but it's simply not the same. Nothing like the effort of looking something up and discovering more than you imagined.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Absolutely! Dictionaries are for focus, the internet for distraction.

[@ratghost25]

Browser's Book Of Beginnings and Browser's Book of The Origin Of Everyday Things. Charles Panati, author. Definitely NOT scholarly but very good pop history/references. A fun read and you will learn a whole lot

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Excellent suggestions! I'll add it to the list of books in the video description. Thank you!

[@stanleyhumphrey7404]

What an incredible video on a subject not often discussed. I don't even have a problem of being distracted by my phone but the other benefits that were specific to each volume was enough that I just ordered half of these books. Also, I love the way you handle addressing controversial subjects. Subbed.

[@sonofacheron]

I want the earlier set -Intellectual history is fascinating.

[@tarnopol]

Another good one, probably out of print, is Isaac Asimov’s Biographical Dictionary of Science. Arranged by year, not alphabetically.

[@briansakelly]

Although it may not be considered a standalone reference, I found the two-volume Syntopicon of Ideas that came with Britannica's 60-volume collection, The Great Books of the Western World, an amazing collection of ideas and concepts with cross-references to all of the primary sources included in the Great Books selection. I loved my set--it was the centerpiece of my home library--but after many moves I finally had to surrender them (along with other Britannica reference gems like the Annals of America and their three-volume 7-language dictionary) to the public library, where I hope they found a good home. I still miss them.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Many have brought up the Syntopicon of Ideas. That work seems essential. I can imagine how painful it must have been to let your collection go like that, but it is truly wonderful of you that you made sure to donate it to a public place that can care for it properly. I hope you've found countless other books to love, perhaps indicative of a new phase in your life. The books around us are us in many ways (they show us). Thank you for sharing, and I added some of these books to the description so others can consider them as well.

[@turtlesoup3624]

Ya I have that Dictionary of the History of Ideas, the blue one .. By way of it I shocked my uncle cuz he borrowed it (without my permission) and he found that I had made notes in the margins of the essay on Relativity. Couple weeks ago I bought at the thrift store another good collection of essays: The Norton Reader.

[@TheJohnblyth]

I saw the Dictionary of the History of Ideas, on your thumbnail and realized that I’d hardly poked my nose into it, since getting a second-hand set years ago. I’m remedying that now. I have a few of earlier editions of the items you’ve listed, or things very like them. The ones that I don’t have fill me with regret I hadn’t known about them sooner, particularly Safire and Garner. My specialty eventually ended up being music (especially music in the classical tradition) and more recently Japanese studies, concerning which I now have 5 dictionaries, and am plotting which will be next. If you’re looking for recommendations, Robert Hughs’ The Shock of the New is a wonderful, very personal survey of modernism in art; and the 4-volume The World of Mathematics, but James R. Newman have all sorts of treasures between their covers. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@davidnovakreadspoetry]

The idea of just sitting and reading the dictionary is a great one. I suppose if I were to be stuck on a desert island with only one book the unabridged dictionary wouldn’t be a bad choice.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

More like perusing from time to time as the mood strikes. At least, that's how I manage. It's one of those activities that seems boring, but then you discover a concept you seemingly would have never heard of otherwise, and suddenly it's a whole world made new for you.

[@markfortuin7111]

Wow. Enjoyed your clip. Will definitely subscribe. Thanks for your Reference books recommendations. 💯

[@PokerStaples]

Your library is a dream man. Thanks for the video.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

It really is. Sometimes we have to stop and just recognize what we have-Thanks for the reminder.

[@ivectord]

My early school years were informed by Colliers Encyclopedia. The Peoples Almanac is another interesting collection of many disparate ideas. My happiest discovery was the volumes of Contemporary Literary Criticism in my local library.

[@1MolokoPlus]

Great video! I am a big fan of the Dictionary of the History of Ideas, as well as Garner’s work. I would add the Syntopicon by Hutchins, Adler et al. I have it in Logos Bible software along with the Great Books of the Western World set. The power of that setup is that each of the concepts discussed in the Syntopicon is introduced and then every relevant primary source from the set is linked, making it easy to locate and read pertinent texts, thereby giving the reader an appreciation for and understanding of the development of the idea throughout the history of Western thought.

[@mcrumph]

Some of these I have, but just added more books to my Alibris wish list.

[@johnstephen399]

This is a very dry topic but you've somehow made it engaging enough for me to sit through most of it. Are you planning on making a video for absolute newbies who want to get into more serious literature? I fall in this category and I would be interested in your take on this.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

This is such a great idea! I'll have to think on it a while-tough to pinpoint the ideal steps. It'll probably have to be spread out across a few videos, not just book recommendations but ways of thinking through reading. I do have a vid that covers my evolution in annotating books. That one should be especially useful for helping you concentrate while reading (one of the toughest aspects). I can tell already I'm gonna be thinking on this all day. Thank you!

[@willk7184]

Really interesting, now I want to scout some used bookstores for my own set. 👍

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I wish you the best of luck! (I last saw a complete copy of the Dictionary of the History of Ideas at the Book Den in Santa Barbara, California for $40-ish.)

[@RetNemmoc555]

I often refer to The Timetables of History for a quick visual idea of historical context. It's a chronological table of selected events (Europe/America) by year in areas of history, politics, literature, theater, religion, philosophy, arts, science, technology, etc. It's very Western-centric, but useful for that if I'm reading or watching a 'period piece' and want to paint a little outside the lines for context.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Awesome! Thank you for the recommendation (adding it to description for others)!

[@undinae]

I have had the 1991 edition since it was first published. Great reference book for browsing through too!

[@tmtb80]

Great list.i think of W. Safire every time I think of possesive Jesus. Reference books are often a favorite.

[@alexjoseph8257]

New sub here. I was hoping for a good thesaurus book and you definitely came in precisely the appointed time. Also i will surely get some of the books you recommended, at least the '' the history of Ideas'' may God bless you and keep you.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I hope each of these books serves you well! 🙏

[@slottibarfast5402]

I find AI to be a go to source. In a few seconds there is a half dozen paragraphs on some thought, plus references. Its also possible to do follow ups. Sometimes the answers or info is not so hit, sometimes even wrong but it is often spot on.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

AI has been an great way to have a 'discussions' on intellectual topics. I chat back-and-forth on philosophical issues, and that leads to the AI suggesting all sorts of angles of further research. Give it a shot!

[@joshsnow5770]

Fantastic channel, particularly enjoyed this video. 'Bartlett's Familiar Quotations' is a reference book I enjoy looking through

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thank you, thank you-I love getting new recommendations!

[@miketrotman9720]

Would you consider adding a link to Thrift Books? A lot of these titles can only be found at used book stores. Thrift Books is very, very good for obscure titles, with tiered pricing based on book condition, and they're not Amazon (as far as I know).

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Yes, I'll look into it. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@TK-kf8zc]

What a brilliant idea. Love your channel.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, I'm so glad you appreciate it! Thank you!

[@syndicatexlibraryofleadership]

Great video. Bought a few of these while I watched. Really apréciate it. I have the thesaurus of emotions and a few others in that series. We use them to create characters in fiction writing. One of those books I don’t use often but when I need it…

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, that's great! I'm so glad I could help you discover such useful books! I'll probably order the Thesaurus of Emotions soon. A couple commenters have suggested it's worth having.

[@tarnopol]

Hey, on big books, I’m deep into Musil’s The Man Without Qualities, the recent-ish translation. Fantastic-and nowhere near as difficult as other modernist novels. Frankly, it’s an easy read!

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Yeah, I can't wait to get to that one! There are some similarly epic and deeply contemplative novels that I don't hear mentioned often. You may be interested. The ones that come to mind are The Demons by Heimito von Doderer (two volumes), Anniversaries by Uwe Johnson (two volumes), and A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell (four volumes). I feel like those might strike a similar chord for you. :)

[@tarnopol]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern Powell is on the list! I never made it through Proust. Should try it again.

[@stretmediq]

I collect and read encyclopedias

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Awesome! And I see you have a great personal library, too.

[@stretmediq]

@ToReadersItMayConcern I need to update that video because I put up more shelves and a lot of my books that were in boxes are on shelves now

[@kristoffrable]

This comment has the same vibe as “I collect molds, spores and fungus.”

[@Paradisereading]

I love this! You hit the nail on the head when you mention the distraction of electronics when looking up information. I am experiencing it with reading War and Peace. I’ve had to use my phone multiple times to look up information and ended up checking my emails, my texts, the weather, my Amazon delivery status, etc. 😂 I will definitely start building my own reference library as my go-to tool instead of Google. Thank you so much for this video, it’s so helpful! Also, do you play guitar? Your fingers move like a musician’s.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, I'm so glad to help inspire your own reference library (I have a mini-bookshelf next to my reading chair, and the most vital reference works sit right there for easy access). I was going to have a section in this vid on which dictionaries to choose, but I thought it would get too esoteric. My main takeaway has been: the New Oxford American Dictionary is the most thorough, while Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is more useful in how quickly you can get the info you want. I have them both seated next to me while I read, and though I enjoy the layout of the Oxford more, I end up almost always just using the Webster for immediacy. And wow, that is such an astute observation! I played guitar for years and years and almost made a career out of it. I've drifted quite far from that life-a teacher and editor now-but how wonderful to think that it lingers in my movements. It certainly resonates in my reading: I always attend to the sound of language, its flow and rhythm. My favorite writers attend to that, too. I'm so glad you're reading War and Peace! I started that book long ago, then realized I wanted a different translation (felt stale). I can't wait to go back to it. I hope it manages to pull you away from internet distraction in time (such a thick, thick book)!

[@Paradisereading]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern I’m having a great time with the book so far. I usually have four books in progress at a time, but decided to give this my full attention and take my time. Glad I chose that route. I have a few reference books, mainly languages, crafts, hobbies, basic dictionary, etc., but I need more in-depth, and variety. I actually found myself recently missing the Encyclopedia Brittanica set my mom used to have in our home. I remember a door-to-door salesman sold it to her and her making monthly payments on it. Those were the good old days.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, you just reminded me of such a huge regret! In college, there was a library book sale, and I saw an entire twenty-something volume Encyclopedia set, in perfect condition, for just twenty-ish dollars (one dollar per volume), and I did not buy it!! These are the youthful choices that haunt us as we age. Any time I enter a library sale I partially hope for precisely that luck once again. Maybe someday. :)

[@Paradisereading]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern I’d kick myself for that! lol! Our annual library fundraising book sale is coming up and I’m going to pay special attention to the reference books this year!

[@peterskove3476]

Thank you for this , you don’t know how much you have helped me !

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I'm so glad! That's what I always hope for!

[@Infinimata]

Thank you for this! I recently did a video of my own about "The New Fontana Dictionary Of Thought", which seems in good company here, but the others you've enumerated I now want to investigate, too.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thank you for bringing that one to my attention. Gonna watch some of your stuff now!

[@christinajohnson6026]

When I was a kid I would get bored and just lay on my bedroom rug with random encyclopedia and just look through it front to back

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Such a great thing to do. Just a dream.

[@kickassv8]

You make some great points. Subbing to see more.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thanks so much!

[@BooksForever]

I enjoy looking over the shoulders of presenters or interviewees to see if anything is recognizable on their bookshelves. Yours are too small and far away to be sure of anything except for the unmistakable four-volume set of Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell. I have that same set.

[@ProseAndPetticoats]

Amazing video & great topic! 🤎

[@leftys408]

The 11-volume Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant is an incredible resource.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, absolutely! I read the first volume last year and am looking forward to the rest!

[@user-zw5xh6qf1c]

a great grand review so intriguing

[@ceciliabrindis3089]

Thank you, I appreciate and enjoy your videos.👍👍❤️❤️

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

That is really wonderful. Thank you!

[@user-um4di5qm8p]

Wow! Thanks for sharing!

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Of course! I love sharing great books I've found! Thanks for commenting!

[@TheMargarita1948]

I read on my iPhone and iPad.

[@boatofcar3273]

Are you familiar with the Syntopicon volumes of the Univ of Chicago Great Books series? Just wondering how it compares to the Dictionary of Ideas.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

A couple of viewers have brought up the Syntopicon, and it sounds great, but I believe it focuses on more foundational and broadly influential ideas in the West, while the Dictionary of the History of Ideas goes into more recent and esoteric entries, especially the New Dictionary of the History of Ideas, which attempts to incorporate recent-ish scholarship from around the world.

[@boatofcar3273]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern Makes sense! Thank you for the great video!

[@user-zw5xh6qf1c]

great books for this life, for what can be seen and of course there is the Bible for what comes after this life and for things unseen

[@philtimedavidfpw]

Please forgive me if I have already posted this. Do you have a KZbin tour of your bookshelves? Thank you for taking the time to create your videos and sharing with us.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I posted a look at a single shelf so far (though there's a glance at one whole bookcase early in the vid). It's the video called My Norton Anthology Collection. I'll try posting more tours when I can.

[@mariacpena8591]

❤ my favorite channel from now on

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

How wonderful of you-Thank you so much!

[@waterfallgamespod]

Wonderful video! You may be interested in: Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies by Robert Gula. Another used bookstore find, it defines many of the logical fallacies that pop up in our conversations and culture.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thank you for the suggestion! I've been adding some viewer suggestions in the description box, and yours is now one of them!

[@macsarcule]

Because your video is grounded in not being distracted by your cellphone, I have to share these thoughts. This’ll sound crazy, but coming from a time before cellphones, awesome reference books have always been _deeply_ distracting and easily distract from whatever i was reading before. I think they’re much more engrossing than my cellphone, so the distraction is even harder to pull away from. Particularly when you’re writing a research paper, having great reference books or even an excellent dictionary can be incredibly distracting. The spiderweb quality of these books is exactly the function that’s so distracting, and it’s this I think is so much more distracting than anything on my cellphone. Pretty soon I’m off gathering wool (which is super fun and long term I think it’s valuable) instead of focused on my original question or my research. It’s so engaging and distracting, I don’t think the any content I can consume on my cellphone can compare. Other than disagreeing that reference books are ways to avoid distraction, I love most of the book choices of your video. These are excellent sources and so great to sink into and lose yourself browsing. Reference books are GREAT FUN! 😃✨

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Great comment. Everything you describe is familiar to me, and yet I had not registered it as a distraction until reading your description. Though, the moment-to-moment value is so high, this may be a distraction I hold on to.

[@walterstevens3874]

Garner's book is fantastic.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, absolutely! I just started his collection of essays, Garner on Language and Writing. It is fantastic so far!

[@abhinavdangwal6180]

Funny thing, I stopped reading to watch this video for no reason.

[@titus663]

The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics is cool, and a good old school dictionary of heraldry is always interesting in unexpected ways… I also have several author specific encyclopedias for encyclopedic authors, namely Spenser (Hamilton), Dante (Lansing) and Milton (Corns)

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Excellent suggestions. Thank you!

[@MasonKelsey]

Need to add to that the current annual edition of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics I have the 85th Edition for 2004-2005.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Oh, fantastic recommendation-I would not have known of it otherwise. Thank you!

[@carllelendt5452]

|Huge-huge thank you for this|!!

[@JosVrancken]

Don't know if you mind e-books illegaly downloaded from the internet, but The Emotion Thesaurus is definitely easy to find. Just search until you have found the right way to search, then it is easy to find. Dictionary of Theories was not so easy to find...

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I've never attempted browsing a reference book in e-book form. So much of what I value in reference books is stumbling onto unexpected topics. That seems tough with an e-book. Have you found any benefits?

[@paulinelafford4773]

Hi. First time watching your channel. Subscribed. Would you have a recommendation for a book of quotes.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thank you! Unfortunately, I don't have much experience sifting through the various quote resources. However, I hear the Bartlett book get brought up often.

[@RealDevastatia]

Here's another small volume that a lot of younger people could stand to crack open. *Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know* by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

[@RealDevastatia]

P.S. What a coincidence! I saw your tenth pick (Appiah's book) on Amazon while I was looking up Hirsch's book.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Thanks for the suggestions in your comments! They've been added to the extended list in the video description! 😀

[@JohnVKaravitis]

I've read all 60 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica's "The Great Books." Have you?

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

No, I haven't. That's great that you have!

[@BriteRory]

Is that green book right behind you at about eye-level the NYRB edition of Anatomy of Melancholy? I just got the newer Penguin edition after beating up my NYRB copy over so many years.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Good eye! I've only read the first section, but I love it so far!

[@BriteRory]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern By the first section, do you mean the lengthy introductory Democritus Junior to the Reader? My love for that book is almost unmatched, with the exception of Thomas Browne. It is endlessly fascinating, a book I likely will return to for the rest of my life.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

@@BriteRory Oh, I should've said the first partition, up to pg. 520 in the NYRB Classics edition. But I think I'll reread prior to the next partition. I want to read slower, just take it in for a while.

[@BriteRory]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern Oh, ok I see! I hope you enjoy it whenever you decide to finish it, in my opinion the third partition is the most enjoyable but I do love the entire book. I actually get a bit squeamish when reading parts of it where it discusses actual physical anatomy and the medieval medicinal practices, it can get pretty grisly! Similar with when I read some Galen, but it is so fascinating that I push through it.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

@@BriteRory I find myself struck by Burton's ability to flow so smoothly across such a wide range of complex material, all the while keeping his syntax poetic and his reflections personal (even with the copious Latin mixed in and constant quotations). It's an impressive technical feat. The science is very much outdated, but the human connection at its core is riveting. I think it's so great that you take the time to read such works. If you discover any other, perhaps obscure or esoteric, works you think I should know about, let me know!

[@pattir6628]

I have a World Book encyclopedia set from the 1950s. I have been trying to decide whether to keep it or not. I think it’s a good idea to have something like this, but I’m afraid this one is so incomplete and out of date that I don’t really even trust it for historical accuracy. Anyone have any thoughts about this?

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

For something like that, I would keep it if I particularly enjoyed the writing in it. It's a historical artifact at that point, something to look at for curiosity's sake. But if it's just raw facts, lacking in thoughtfulness and insights, then probably not worth keeping around.

[@DelipRao]

How do these books compare to Wikipedia entries on the topic?

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

The entries in each of these reference books is far more careful and dense regarding each subject; however, Wikipedia is more current and perhaps easier to peruse (and links you to various other sources). Because these are books, they are easier to sit and think through. Wikipedia exists within the misty distraction of the internet.

[@terrytysinger6022]

Silly me; was expecting the CRC Handbook to be on the list.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Added it to the list in the description. 👍

[@ing-mariekoppel1637]

I never read notifications from apps .

[@MerhabaMuhtesem]

Wooww👍👏👏

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

🙏

[@hahahahahha8458]

Are you of Italian descent? I swear you look like my friend

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I'm not (as far as I know). Background for both parents is from Mexico. Glad to look like your friend, though!

[@user-nb3mq3cg8k]

How about OED?

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

I was going to have a section in this vid on which dictionaries to choose, but I thought it would get too esoteric. My main takeaway has been: the New Oxford American Dictionary is the most thorough, while Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is more useful in how quickly you can get the info you want. I have them both seated next to me while I read, and though I enjoy the layout of the Oxford more, I end up almost always just using the Webster for immediacy.

[@user-nb3mq3cg8k]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern I can see... The Oxford English Dictionary though was founded by philological geniuses. It took 70 years to be completed and be passed to another generation of lexicographers and linguists. It is definitely very hard to dissect it, but very pleasurable for lexicography geeks and enthusiasts.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Hmm, I will consider lifting and sifting through the Oxford more often the next time I read. I do genuinely feel a difference along the lines of what you describe. Do you happen to know of any great videos or articles or books that cover the behind-the-scenes of Oxford Dictionary creation?

[@user-nb3mq3cg8k]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern I do know Sir James Augustus Henry Murray was one of the progenitors of the OED. If you have the 20 volumes of the original OED rather than the compact version or quick reference. It is very scholarly and pleasurable for writers alike.

[@john197039]

reading does not require silence. It may help you read but it's not universal.

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

You're completely right.

[@boredgrass]

So you want to distract yourself so badly, that you even do it with books...?

[@ToReadersItMayConcern]

Though it begins with a glance from off the shelf, reading a reference book becomes focused by a keen interest in the specific subject matter at hand. Devoted attention. When I veer off in discovery toward a nearby entry, that entry then takes my full attention; periodic attention, not divided or scattered. With the internet-by the nature of how algorithms function-focus is not the point, the dopamine kick of anticipation is, and it is less by choice than random-seeming opportunity. I can see the similarity you're pointing to, thus the word "distraction" applying to both, but there are key differences and those matter to me, and the books I offer in this video are a balm for the perpetual itch of distraction that the internet brings.

[@boredgrass]

@@ToReadersItMayConcern ...I may also, or may not speak from experience...;-)))

[@jamesrogers5277]

This ever-used ubiquitous cliché - ‘diving’ into a subject - is itself an irritant and distraction - it appears on YT all too often as a prelude to necessarily shallow content, and I would have hoped better from you, armed as you are with an impressive array of reference books - amongst which presumably must be a thesaurus… even the word ‘plunging’ would make a welcome change, especially so because it implies a certain degree of violent sensuality!

[@RealDevastatia]

I enjoy "delving" into things personally.

[@mnblkjh6757]

🤔simple, turn it off

[@GilliumO]

A 3 minute intro is too long. Seriously, watch your own video and ask yourself if I'm wrong.

[@nedludd7622]

You know that there is an off-button on your phone, don't you?

[@christopherhamilton3621]

I generally don’t comment on KZbin because I use Social Media apps to do that. Your comment, however, deserves reciprocal downvote and sneering sarcasm. Ta dah!