The word philavery was invented to describe this book: a collection of words chosen simply on the grounds of their aesthetic appeal. Some of these words appeal because of their aptness, some for their obscurity, some for their euphony, and some for their quirkiness. As a collection, they represent the fruits of a lifetime of reading and will delight all word lovers.
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Review
I happen to be one of those people who love these kinds of books, though unfortunately they frequently get lost in the mélange of frippery that is located around the checkout counter at better bookstores. Anyway, Foyle, who happens to own such a bookstore in London, has collected a fair-sized book's worth of odd and distinctive words, his favourite of which is "kakistocracy, a system of government where the rulers are the least competent, least qualified or most unprincipled citizens"--a word we ought to use more frequently. (The Morning News Book Digest 20080324)
I have found many surprises in the Philavery - I didn't know that alopecia literally means fox mange!
(Roddy Lumsden's Blog, www.booksfromscotland.com 20080324)About the Author
Christopher Foyle is Chairman, Managing Director and owner of Air Foyle, originally founded in 1978 as an executive air charter company.
He is a past President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and became Chairman of the British Cargo Airline Alliance from its inception in 1998. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Liveryman of the Guild of Air Pilots, Chairman of The Air League, a Freeman of the City of London and a Patron of the Book Trade Benevolent Society.
He has been a frequent speaker at conferences in the US, Europe and the CIS on air cargo, air finance, CIS aviation and virtual passenger airlines.
In 1999 he became Chairman of his world famous family bookselling business, Foyles, in Charing Cross Road, London. He took over a declining business and having installed a new management team and financial systems is currently turning the business around to recapture the position and reputation Foyles once held. From 2000 its turnover started to rise again and in 2003/2004 it made its first trading profit for seven years.
He also hosts and chairs the famous Foyles Literary Luncheons, founded in 1903.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Ralph Blumenau
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is great fun for those who are interested in unusual words, even though there is, I think, a slight padding out. By my reckoning at least, some ten words out of the 105 listed here beginning with the letter A are not really all that unusual. But this must be a somewhat subjective judgment. Some 73 of the words under A I had never come across, and that's a pretty good score for this beautifully produced book. Would make a lovely present for a philaveryphile!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love unusual words, and this (and its follow up Foyle's Further Philavery) is the kind of book I would expect to love. However it falls short of that for me. Some of the words are not really that unusual and an educated person would probably know, but the much bigger issue for me is that I would like to see more words which you might have a finite chance of actually using in a lifetime, rather than simply words you might only ever have a chance of using in a game of Scrabble. Examples: piki - a bread made from maize meal by the Hopi Indians of the South Western USA; galliard - a lively dance in triple time for couples, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Funnily enough, Foyle says in his introduction that his mother-in-law coined the word "philavery" whilst the two of them were playing Scrabble, which is perhaps a bit of a giveaway.
I far more enjoyed the witty Superior Person's Book of Words series of books to these.
Funnily enough, Foyle says in his introduction that his mother-in-law coined the word "philavery" whilst the two of them were playing Scrabble, which is perhaps a bit of a giveaway.
I far more enjoyed the witty Superior Person's Book of Words series of books to these.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a really good book, full of obscure and fascinating words. Its also fun and a useful tool in getting reluctant readers to enjoy the power of words, it has been an excellent incentive in my family just by inserting one of the words in a text message knowing that the younger elements of the family will go and look it up in the Foyles. Wouldn't be without it now.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
When I saw this advertised, I felt slightly ashamed that I had no idea what a `philavery' was.... It turns out I needn't have worried: the word was invented specifically to describe this book: "Philavery /fil-a-vuh-ri/ n. an idiosyncratic collection of uncommon and pleasing words."
The book is the result of years of word collecting by the author, Christopher Foyle, chairman of the famous Foyles bookshop in London. The `uncommoness' of the words included in the volume is defined by Foyle; as such many words in the philavery are familiar to me. Indeed, he states in the introduction that the US commander of the first Gulf War described information with little value as "bovine scatology". The author admits he had to refer to a dictionary to discover the meaning of scatology, which surprised me as I would not personally consider it an unusual word. The same goes for fabiform, exsanguinate, factitious, chino and countless more. Some words, such as `halcyon', were included not because they are particularly unfamiliar, but because of their fascinating etymologies.
In all, this would make a great gift with its attractive design and quality of production. And whilst the criteria for inclusion in the philavery seems somewhat spurious, and certainly subjective, this is a 230-page book full of obscure, quirky, fun, poignant words, so even if you know some of them already, there is still plenty to delight and inform word lovers.
The book is the result of years of word collecting by the author, Christopher Foyle, chairman of the famous Foyles bookshop in London. The `uncommoness' of the words included in the volume is defined by Foyle; as such many words in the philavery are familiar to me. Indeed, he states in the introduction that the US commander of the first Gulf War described information with little value as "bovine scatology". The author admits he had to refer to a dictionary to discover the meaning of scatology, which surprised me as I would not personally consider it an unusual word. The same goes for fabiform, exsanguinate, factitious, chino and countless more. Some words, such as `halcyon', were included not because they are particularly unfamiliar, but because of their fascinating etymologies.
In all, this would make a great gift with its attractive design and quality of production. And whilst the criteria for inclusion in the philavery seems somewhat spurious, and certainly subjective, this is a 230-page book full of obscure, quirky, fun, poignant words, so even if you know some of them already, there is still plenty to delight and inform word lovers.
By Holmleas
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Philavery, noun: a collection of unusual words chosen for their aesthetic appeal. And that's exactly what you get with this book. It's a collection of unexpected and little known words that will please and delight you, the ideal gift for people who used to like 'Call my Bluff' or the outrageous definitions of 'Meaning of Liff'. Scrabble fans will especially find lots to salivate over!
Aside from the fascinating content, it's also a beautifully produced book with a lovely William Morris-esque front and decent quality paper within the covers (increasingly a rarity these days). My only tiny quibble is that some of the words it lists are a little quotidian.
Overall - it will make an ideal gift for the logophile in your life :o)
Aside from the fascinating content, it's also a beautifully produced book with a lovely William Morris-esque front and decent quality paper within the covers (increasingly a rarity these days). My only tiny quibble is that some of the words it lists are a little quotidian.
Overall - it will make an ideal gift for the logophile in your life :o)
By D. Isaac
Format:Hardcover
This book is fabulous, a collection of odd words which have all but disappeared from the English language. This book should be on every coffee table up and down the country in order to help bring back interesting words, like 'discombobulation', to regular use! We have bought many copies for friends and family and have a lot of fun guessing the definitions, or throwing a certain word into a sentence and seeing if the other person can decipher its meaning, fantastic for brain teasing!
By Shoobs
Format:Hardcover
Very informative and good fun. You will have lots of laughs playing guess the meaning of some of the words a great one for all the family both young and old.
By KN Bladon
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was given "Foyle's further Philavery" and "My Philavery" for my recent birthday, so I wanted this volume to complete the set. Not a book for everyone, it is a collection of less-familiar English words which might come in useful - or might not!
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