Unlike most etymology textbooks, this one presents the words studied in the context of the ideas in which the words functioned. Instead of studying endless lists of word roots, suffixes, and prefixes in isolation, the words are enlivened by their social, literary, and cultural media. Features: Chapters on Mythology, Medicine, Politics and Law, Commerce and Economics, Philosophy and Psychology, History Introduction to word building Exercises throughout Illustrations of ancient artifacts Clever cartoons on word origins Glossary of English words and phrases.