The Devil's Dictionary

<p><b>"Politeness, n. The most acceptable hypocrisy."</b><br><br>In this extraordinary work of scathing satire, Ambrose Bierce provided new humorous definitions of the words that formed the lexicon of contemporary American life. <br><br>Accumulated over three decades for a series of magazines and newspapers, the entries in <i>The Devil''s Dictionary</i> painted a revealing portrait of late 19th-century American life, with all its contradictions and hypocrisies laid bare.<br><br>Bierce''s fantastic wit and incredible gift for irony shine through this true masterpiece of American literature.</p>