This is a great book for my boys to have around.  Now they can look up the spelling or definition of a word if they don't know how to spell it correctly!!!  My boys have been frustrated many times with this problem.   This handy dictionary alphabetically lists the most common misspellings of more than 15,000 frequently used words, and gives the correct spellings in easy-to-read boldface type.  I am sure not everyone will agree with this method of letting them look it up by how they "think" it is spelled.  Some might think seeing the word misspelled in print reinforces the misspelling - but my guys have really found it helpful.  Just thought I would pass it along!   http://tinyurl.com/2644zv

We read this book last year and currently it is loaned out to friends, but I stumbled across it again in a used book store and it reminded me of just how wonderful this book truly is.  I am sure most of you are very familiar with the books of David Macaulay.  He has written and illistrated favorites such as Pyramid, Castle, and Underground to name a few but our all time favorite is his Motel of the Mysteries.   I don't think this book is as well known as some of his other works but it is definately worth your time if you study or enjoy history or archaeology.  We crack up every time we read this book!  We loved the "great altar" (a tv on top of a dresser) and the inner chamber (the bathroom).
Here are some comments off of amazon reviews:
this book is about future archaeologists / explorers "discovering" the burried ruins of an American motel room in the 41st century ... and the miss-identification of just about every item found.  It perfectly explains the traps that we may fall into when trying to explain the past using present day knowledge and sensibilities. The events portrayed in this book show the reader just how easy it is to make a mistake ... even when one's best intentions are at stake.
the book makes quite clear what archaeology legitimately can and cannot do. I think it also points out that what is taken as "The Reality" of the past is often as much a function of current cultural biases and of the personal motives of individual researchers as it is of what actually occurred in the past.
One of my college archaeology professors displayed some images from the book as overheads, as well, and I thought he made a poignant point: that archaeologists sometimes make things up when they don't know the answers. Mysterious objects suddenly take on supposed religious significance. The author made his point clearly and humorously.
I hope you get to read this book - you really will enjoy it!  Dee