Have you ever wondered exactly what déjà vu is? Have you made a faux pas? Voulez-vous an explanation of the above? Then voilà, here is a collection of les mots justes to help you bring that certain je ne sais quoi of the French language into everyday conversation.

In this series, the Design Museum looks at the fifty design icons of major cities around the world - icons that, when viewed together, inherently sum up the character of their city. Covering anything from buildings, monuments and iconic designers to a classic film or street sign, these books explore a tapestry of infamous designs, all with their own story to tell. One part design history, one part visual guidebook, this fascinating series unlocks the design stories of the biggest, most creative cities in the world. With entries on design icons from I.M. Pei's glass pyramid to the humble baguette, Le Monde newspaper to Le Corbusier's striking Maison La Roche, Paris in Fifty Design Icons builds an intricate portrait of Europe's most romantic city. With stunning photography, this book is the perfect gift for design enthusiasts and anyone who loves anything Parisian. Also available in the series: London in Fifty Design Icons New York in Fifty Design Icons Berlin in Fifty Design Icons

"I have a faith in language," said the poet W. S. Merwin. "It's the ultimate achievement that we as a species have evolved so far." Language is a deep ocean of living words, as varied as undersea life. It is a gift inherited by each person when he or she is born; it can be corrupted and regulated, but it cannot be owned. It is an enormous, complex, inexhaustible gift. The Soul of Creative Writing is a tribute to language and to its potentials. It explores the elements of language, style, rhythm, sound, and the choice of the right word. Richard Goodman paints an image of how language can produce a life and meaning that otherwise cannot exist in the symbols themselves.Goodman's stunningly creative collection was written after a lifetime of working and struggling with language. He collects rich examples from writers of the past and present, both great and small, and uses them to illustrate how each element of our written language can be used. The book begins with an analysis of words and how they can be used to create music on the page. Goodman uncovers the strength of words, writing about the shades of meaning that make the search for the exact word both arduous and immensely rewarding. He discusses how to find the proper title and how to find a fitting subject. He show how to create nonfiction work that is vivid and memorable through the use of the same techniques fiction writers employ.Goodman's volume is written with humor and clarity--with fascination and reverence. Writers will find it an indispensable source of creative inspiration and instruction. In Goodman's words, "reading is a tour of a writer's efforts at manipulating language to create art, to create flesh and blood and mountains, cities, homes, and gardens out of inky symbols on the page." To literary critics, this book will be a guide to understanding the tools and devices of great writing.

Schottenfreude is a unique, must-have dictionary, complete with newly coined words that explore the idiosyncrasies of life as only the German language can. Ever thought, There should be a German word for that? Well, thanks to the brilliantly original mind behind Schott’s Original Miscellany, now there is. In what other language but German could you construct le mot juste for a secret love of bad foods, the inability to remember jokes, Sunday-afternoon depression, the urge to yawn, the glee of gossip, reassuring your hairdresser, delight at the changing of the seasons, the urge to hoard, or the ineffable pleasure of a cold pillow? A beguiling, ideal gift book for the Gelehrte or anyone on your list—just beware of rapidly expanding (and potentially incomprehensible) vocabularies.

An exploration of politics and the role of the 'soft sciences' in Science Fiction.

English-French Translation: A Practical Manual allows advanced learners of French to develop their translation and writing skills. This book provides a deeper understanding of French grammatical structures, the nuances of different styles and registers and helps increase knowledge of vocabulary and idiomatic language. The manual provides a wealth of practical tasks based around carefully selected extracts from the diverse text types students are likely to encounter, from literary and expository, to persuasive and journalistic. A mix of shorter targeted activities and lengthier translation pieces guides learners through the complexities and challenges of translation from English into French. This comprehensive manual is ideal for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in French language and translation.