I'm not "preparing" to take the SAT so I felt odd reading a book in which I was not a target audience member. In other words, the author has sold himself short by marketing his book to a niche audience. Strange. Anyway, I purchased this book because I'm going back to high school to get my GED (I'm 38) but I am not preparing for college (hence my earlier reference to NOT taking the freaking SAT). And, to be honest, I was also tired of my 15 year old nephew using all these big words like 'piquant' and 'effusive' and 'schmaltzy' etc... So I told that stupid brat that I would be able to use stupid big words too. So thanks to this book I got my GED and I can now castigate my stupid nephew. So if you aren't taking the SAT don't feel upbraided by the stigma and get a copy of this book.

Although the 270 pages listed is a misnomer(it's 212), In-a-Flash Vocabulary delivers a copious plethora of prodigious vocab in a fun and easy format. From infantile words such as trepidation to more obscure words such as chimera, there is no dearth of new words, sentence examples, word roots, and exercises to put you on the road to a bigger vocabulary.

Perhaps a little on the easy side, but it is nonetheless a great tool for anyone preparing for tests or simply to ameliorate your working vocabulary. After all, it's your vocabulary, or lack thereof, that people use as the key discerning parameter as to your level of intelligence. My favorite vocab book. Also recommended: Word Smart & 1000 Most Important Words.