word_play

Wordplay
$19.95
You'll like this movie even if you've never done a crossword puzzle in your life. It's smart, funny and just plain entertaining. A must-see for any word nerds out there.

Word Play: What Happens When People Talk
$14.95
"Word Play" is one of the few books that has stayed in my memory for decades. How many works of nonfiction actually provide useful ideas that you find yourself using on a regular basis? You know how it is, a book may be interesting for the duration of time in which you're reading it but not long after it dissipates from memory and eventually winds up being sent to the thrift store. Not so with Peter Farb's perennial from 1973.

"Word Play" inadvertently wound up being my introduction to the psychology of linguistics. Farb analyzes how language is used across various cultures and how that use of language reveals how those cultures think. You and I might think of distance in terms of miles but the language of a Native American tribe speaks of distance in terms of time, "three days' journey". How do these differences in language influence the way we perceive the world around us? Examination of such models becomes one of the most fascinating ideas touched upon in "Word Play".

In recent years linguistics has become a hot topic due to the purveyors of neurolinguistic programming, but Farb's work preceded that trend's ascendancy. Its anthropological approach makes it more engaging than most of those works that focus on diagnostics or detailed structure of language.

The first half the book was spellbinding. Once I got the point, the second half amounted to more of the same and I came to the conclusion that I'd already gotten from the book what I'd intended. Nevertheless, this is one of a dozen or two books that has found a permanent place in my library.

LeapFrog��� Learn & Groove��� Radio
$21.99
This may have it's place but it is not as a "radio". I mistaken purchased this thinking it had 30 "songs" on it, what it actually has is 30 different pictures on little half moon discs that you flip to see different pictures and if you press the button next to the picture it plays a "tune and sings" for a few seconds about the picture. We also noticed that it only has a couple different tunes and just changes the word for the picture. It has a sippy cup with white in it and one with orange in it the tune just plays and says milk or juice depending on the color etc. The round ball in the center draws attention but when it's touched or bummed even lightly by accident it changes from english to spanish/spanish to english. This is meant to teach children words but some of the pictures I didn't even know what they were like the pajamas. I feel calling it a radio with 30 different songs is misleading we sent it back and will keep looking for a "radio" that plays childrens songs.

WORDPLAY For Kids Game
$14.99
This is a great game. Prior to purchasing it, I had to spend some time figuring out if this was the Travel Edition or the Regular Edition of Wordplay for Kids that won a Teacher's Choice Award. It seems there are reviews for both here. What I found is that as of the year 2008 - Wordplay for Kids - comes only in the regular edition (the travel edition is no longer available). Some reviews here seem to refer to the smaller cheaper Travel Edition. Either way both games were great, you just need more space to store the regular edition as it comes in a bigger box with more components. The key though is that with either edition Kids love playing it.