Looking Up Words In A Book Not So Strange Yet "Smoot" is one of 10,000 new words featured in the fifth edition of The American Heritage Dictionary, out this month.

Her latest book, "1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Productive and Focused All Year Round," is her first self-help title. (Bryan Tarnowski/Simon & Schuster) “It’s fun,” she said.

Every good book begins with good words. Ounce, Dice, Trice is a book for children that is full of words — magnificent, wonderful words like "frangipani," "dimity," "gloaming" and "nunnery." ...