Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

The Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, billed as "the first thesaurus for writers, by writers," attempts to adapt and augment the standard dictionary-style thesaurus to better serve writers. Additions include excerpts from Garner's Modern American Usage, a grammar overview, word spectrums (from synonym to antonym), and mini-essays by contemporary writers. For librarians, teachers, and younger writers, the Writer’s Thesaurus is a good purchase. However, for more experienced writers, classic thesauri such as Roget’s International will be both cheaper and of more enduring value.

The biggest difference between the Writer's Thesaurus and others are the mini-essays on selected words written by eleven contributing authors, including David Foster Wallace, songwriter/musician Stephin Merritt, Francine Prose, and Zadie Smith. The value of these essays will depend on the reader. Fans of the writers will be curious to read their take on certain words. Teachers and librarians, faced with persuading students to use books rather than the Internet, will recognize the value of having famous -- even celebrity -- writers on board. How better to seduce young people into using a reference book than by including indie musicians and trendy novelists?

However, for older writers, these essays will be interesting, but gratuitous. Most people only buy one thesaurus in their lifetimes; over the long run, pieces like these only take up valuable space on the page. While the Writer's Thesaurus has the same number of synonyms as the gold standard Roget's International, the entries are shorter and the price is higher. (The Writer’s Thesaurus only comes in hardcover.) As for the usage notes, experienced writers will probably have picked up a usage book in the course of their educations. Young writers might appreciate having everything within two covers, but as they mature as writers, they will want the full Garner's Guide to Usage, not just selections. Given the pressures on the book industry in the era of the Internet, these features are smart for marketing; whether they're of equal value for the consumer is another question.