Edward C. Gruber

2300 Steps to Word Power is a book similar to what I used in high school. My feeling about it now is the same as it was 35 years ago. It is a way to get introduce to a lot of words quickly but unless you are working together with other people, it is often difficult to determine how to use the words in sentences.

The number in the title is the number of words that are presented in the book. The book is divided into sections on synonyms, analogies, opposites, and sentence completions. On one page, a word is given with multiple choices for the answer. On the following page, the reader is given the answer along with a new word to learn. One can breeze through the book or take time with each word.

Samples from the synonym section:

50. assiduous

(A) apart; (B) bilateral; (C) diligent; (D) sour

(C)

51. aseptic

(A) antique; (B) artistic; (C) sterile; (D) austere

(C)

There are many ways to learn words, and this way isn't a preferred approach today because it isn't communicative, but the book is compact, easy to carry around, making it easy to go over the words repeatedly. It is up to the reader to apply himself to find ways to use the word. Of course, if the reader knows the word, he only has to concentrate on the ones that he doesn't know. The supplements in the back of the book gives ways that people can learn vocabulary.… (altro)