The authors of Beyond Jennifer & Jason, the bestseller that revolutionized baby naming, offer the last word on the perfect first name. Hope is hot, Hortense is not-- at last, here's what parents really need to know before naming a baby. For years you knew what to expect from a baby-name book: a long, dull list of names with their dictionary definitions. All that changed with Beyond Jennifer & Jason-- the groundbreaking book on styles and trends in baby names that has been called "the best baby-naming book ever written" (The News Journal). Now Rosenkrantz and Satran return with an all-new baby-name guide that is destined to become a classic. Like other books, it's packed with entries on girls' and boys' names from A to Z, but no one else gives you the inside story on names: why the world has all the Ashleys it needs, why everyone loves Emily, and why you should or should not call your son Ishmael. Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient myths, current TV series, the Bible, and world literature, The Last Word on First Names is a readable, witty, and illuminating guide to the real-world meaning of Miranda, Max, and thousands of other names from Abigail to Zelig. No one should name a baby without this book.

Substantially revised and enlarged, this new edition of the Dictionary of Pseudonyms includes more than 2,000 new entries, bringing the volume's total to approximately 13,000 assumed names, nicknames, stage names, and aliases. The introduction has been entirely rewritten, and many previous entries feature new accompanying details or quoted material. This volume also features a significantly greater number of cross-references than was included in previous editions. Arranged by pseudonym, the entries give the true name, vital dates, country of origin or settlement, and profession. Many entries also include the story behind the person's name change.

A fresh, illuminating guide to thousands of first names and their meanings.

Music from unlikely singers: Chevy Chase, Linda Evans, Elliott Gould.