Off topic: What book would you treat yourself to for 100 dollars?
Thread poster: Neil Coffey
Neil Coffey
Neil Coffey  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:23
French to English
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Dec 22, 2009

If you had about 100 dollars to spend on a new book/dictionary on Amazon, what would you spend it on? What is the book-- beyond the standard general dictionaries in your language-- that you've bought over the last couple of years that has most made your translation life easier/opened a new market etc? All ideas welcome!

 
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
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English to Polish
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Black's law dictionary Dec 22, 2009

When it comes to good purchases - it does not count as a book but I subscribe The Economist - it really helps me to develop my language skills and catch on important news at the same time.

Cheers
S

Edit:
Btw. if I had $300 instead of 1000 I would go for Kindle - I love the idea!

[Edited at 2009-12-22 00:20 GMT]


 
jacana54 (X)
jacana54 (X)  Identity Verified
Uruguay
English to Spanish
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This very week... :-))) Dec 22, 2009

I bought Black's Law Dictionary (for $60) and Black's Handbook of Criminal Law ($25)...

But I plan to read the second one much as I would a novel (i.e.: more for pleasure than for work).

Off-topic: I also bought The Emperor (Richard Kapuscinski) for $10, for pleasure only.

The dictionary from B&N (discount price) and the other two from Amazon (they had the same special price for the dictiona
... See more
I bought Black's Law Dictionary (for $60) and Black's Handbook of Criminal Law ($25)...

But I plan to read the second one much as I would a novel (i.e.: more for pleasure than for work).

Off-topic: I also bought The Emperor (Richard Kapuscinski) for $10, for pleasure only.

The dictionary from B&N (discount price) and the other two from Amazon (they had the same special price for the dictionary but I felt sorry for the postman, having to carry all that weight).

We all deserve a present at this time of the year!

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Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 19:23
Italian to English
Gray's Anatomy Dec 22, 2009

A while ago I bought a beautiful edition of Gray's Anatomy (contains no pictures of Patrick Dempsey though, unfortunately) which cost me around £100 sterling.

Definitely one of the best additions to my medical library so far.


 
Trisha F
Trisha F  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:23
English to Spanish
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Would I have to spend the money on a dictionary? Dec 22, 2009

I would invest that money on a good dictionary but I wouldn't really consider that a treat. It would certainly make me happy but I would think of it more like a tool for work. If I had to spend one hundred dollars on sheer bibliographic pleasure I would buy a beautiful edition of Wuthering Heights, Dracula or Oscar Wilde's collected works... if such volume existed.

 
Ansgar Knirim
Ansgar Knirim  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 19:23
Member (2007)
English to German
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Style "Reference Handbooks" Dec 22, 2009

Being a fan of vintage clothing and a translator specializing in fashion I would spend my bucks on beautiful "reference books" like these two, a history of the Western Shirt and a classic book by the great Japanese author and collector Rin Tanaka abo... See more
Being a fan of vintage clothing and a translator specializing in fashion I would spend my bucks on beautiful "reference books" like these two, a history of the Western Shirt and a classic book by the great Japanese author and collector Rin Tanaka about motorcycle leather jackets:

http://www.amazon.de/How-West-Was-Worn-History/dp/0810992566/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1261507380&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.de/Motorcycle-Jackets-Century-Leather-Design/dp/0764325191/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1261507425&sr=1-1

Merry Christmas...
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Alexandra Goldburt
Alexandra Goldburt
Local time: 11:23
English to Russian
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Some of the books on my ever-growing Amazon wish list Dec 22, 2009

1. Gran Diccionario Cuyas Ingles­Espanol/​ Spanish­English​ by Arturo C. Armengol (Author)
$79.95

2. Diccionario de Uso del Espanol, 3rd Revised Edition, 2 Volumes (Spanish Edition) by Maria Moliner (Editor)
$395.00 (almost $400 - ouch!)

3. Bilingual Dictionary of Criminal Justice Terms: English/Spanish​ ( 2nd Edition ) by Virginia Benmaman
8 Used & New from $87.95

4. Diccionario Bilingue de Terminologia Juridica: Ingles-Esp
... See more
1. Gran Diccionario Cuyas Ingles­Espanol/​ Spanish­English​ by Arturo C. Armengol (Author)
$79.95

2. Diccionario de Uso del Espanol, 3rd Revised Edition, 2 Volumes (Spanish Edition) by Maria Moliner (Editor)
$395.00 (almost $400 - ouch!)

3. Bilingual Dictionary of Criminal Justice Terms: English/Spanish​ ( 2nd Edition ) by Virginia Benmaman
8 Used & New from $87.95

4. Diccionario Bilingue de Terminologia Juridica: Ingles-Espanol,​ Espanol-Ingles (Spanish Edition) by Patricia Olga Mazzucco
3 Used & New from $236.90 (more ouch!)

5. Spanish-English​ Dictionary Of Law And Business by Thomas L. West (Author)
6 Used & New from $328.94 (ouch again!)
Out of Print--Limited Availability.

Unlike Stanislaw, I specifically do not want Kindle. No, no, no! Just the thought of replacing books with Kindle give me a queasy feeling in my stomach... No, give me a real paper book and let me curl up with it, and let me scribble notes on its margins, agreeing or disagreeing with the author...

It might seem just my personal preference, but it's more than that. Kindle has a dark side - Amazon has a capacity to remove, without an advance notice, a book from your Kindle, and in fact, it has done it once (see, for example, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html) A book in question was not other that Orwell's 1984. Draw your own conclusions.
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Neil Coffey
Neil Coffey  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:23
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Moliner is much cheaper in Mexico Dec 23, 2009

Alexandra Goldburt wrote:
2. Diccionario de Uso del Espanol, 3rd Revised Edition, 2 Volumes (Spanish Edition) by Maria Moliner (Editor)
$395.00 (almost $400 - ouch!)


Alexandra -- just to let you know, the Moliner retails at around 1,500 pesos in Mexico (i.e. just over 100 dollars). I'd check the web sites of Mexican book shops like Gandhi, El Sótano, Fondo de la Cultura -- even with international shipping it seems it would come out significantly cheaper.


[Edited at 2009-12-23 03:00 GMT]


 
Alexandra Goldburt
Alexandra Goldburt
Local time: 11:23
English to Russian
+ ...
Thanks, Neil! Dec 23, 2009

Neil Coffey wrote:

Alexandra Goldburt wrote:
2. Diccionario de Uso del Espanol, 3rd Revised Edition, 2 Volumes (Spanish Edition) by Maria Moliner (Editor)
$395.00 (almost $400 - ouch!)


Alexandra -- just to let you know, the Moliner retails at around 1,500 pesos in Mexico (i.e. just over 100 dollars). I'd check the web sites of Mexican book shops like Gandhi, El Sótano, Fondo de la Cultura -- even with international shipping it seems it would come out significantly cheaper.


[Edited at 2009-12-23 03:00 GMT]


I am glad I posted it here - otherwise, I would never have known!


 
philgoddard
philgoddard
United States
German to English
+ ...
Why Amazon? Dec 31, 2009

Neil Coffey wrote:

If you had about 100 dollars to spend on a new book/dictionary on Amazon, what would you spend it on?


What's wrong with supporting your local bookstore?

And personally I'm waiting for the waterproof version of Kindle that you can use in the bath.


 
inkweaver
inkweaver  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 19:23
French to German
+ ...
Exactly my thought... Dec 31, 2009

philgoddard wrote:

Neil Coffey wrote:

If you had about 100 dollars to spend on a new book/dictionary on Amazon, what would you spend it on?


What's wrong with supporting your local bookstore?


Personally, I prefer to go to my local, privately owned bookshop. If they don't have a certain book or can't order it for me within a reasonable amount of time, I buy it by mail order, but certainly not from Amazon.

But at the moment I'm not in a buying mood anyway, so I would keep my 100 dollars...


 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 19:23
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
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Definitely Black's Law Dictionary! Dec 31, 2009

Stanislaw Czech wrote:
When it comes to good purchases - it does not count as a book but I subscribe The Economist - it really helps me to develop my language skills and catch on important news at the same time.

Definitely Black's Law Dictionary was my first thought.


 
JaneTranslates
JaneTranslates  Identity Verified
Puerto Rico
Local time: 14:23
Spanish to English
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Update what I have Dec 31, 2009

I would be delighted with the most recent editions of the MLA Style Manual, The Chicago Manual of Style, and the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. I translate for academic journals, and I teach translation and direct M.A. theses, so I need to be up to date.

I need them, and don't have them, so it would truly be a treat. I can eas
... See more
I would be delighted with the most recent editions of the MLA Style Manual, The Chicago Manual of Style, and the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. I translate for academic journals, and I teach translation and direct M.A. theses, so I need to be up to date.

I need them, and don't have them, so it would truly be a treat. I can easily give away or sell (cheaply) the older ones, to reduce the clutter in my tiny office.
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Vito Smolej
Vito Smolej
Germany
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Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER
my choice - a Mac notebook ;) Jan 2, 2010

Neil Coffey wrote:

If you had about 100 dollars to spend on a new book/dictionary on Amazon, what would you spend it on?


 


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