Although the Dictionary is primarily a philological work, DeMaria shows how it also serves literary, moral, and educational purposes. By analyzing the content of the 116,000 illustrative quotations used by Johnson, the author illuminates the major themes of the book: knowledge and ignorance, truth and probabiity, learning and education, language, religion, and morality. Johnson’s choice of which quotations to include represents his vision of the intellectual landscape. “Very few books on Samuel Johnson manage to convey the spirit as well as the content and drift of his writing. This exacting requirement has been triumphantly met in a new work by Robert DeMaria, as original in conception as it is energetic in execution.” — London Review of Books Very few books on Samuel Johnson manage to convey the spirit as well as the content and drift of his writing. This exacting requirement has been triumphantly met in a new work by Robert DeMaria, as original in conception as it is energetic in execution.-- London Review of Books Used Book in Good Condition