An Old Favorite Reinvented

Admittedly, I was kind of a weird kid. I spent many an hour thumbing through my older brother's hardbound copy of Roget's Thesaurus, enthralled by the way a single word could launch a myriad thoughts, one bundle of letters at a time. All the concepts fathomable to the human mind were expressed in the pages of this book, strung together in a frighteningly finite and rudimentary order. When I went away to college, I sneaked that dogeared book into my duffel bag along with my few precious earthly possessions. I use it to this day.

I don't know that my brother ever missed his handy reference tome, but if he ever did, I would point him to the online version of the Visual Thesaurus. While not as satisfying to page through as the old-fashioned kind, this is a fascinating tool for anyone who ideates for a living, whether in marketing or literary occupations. It's also a fruitful way to kill time. And, at $19.95 for an annual subscription, well worth the investment. Better yet, it's much harder for your little sister to swipe.

www.visualthesaurus.com