True. I use several dictionaries for my work, online as well as printed dictionaries. Sometimes I even read dictionaries without a special purpose, just out of curiosity.

I wish more folks on AB would heed the statement.

I I use a great Dictionary I downloaded from the net. It give you an instant definition as well as an audio pronunciation.

"A Writer's Bookshelf Dictionaries Thesaurus Handbooks Style Manuals Other Guides There are a number of tools that can be of great help as you compose, edit, and revise your prose. Although some are available in electronic formats, most writers find the traditional print formats more useful. These tools should never be more than an arm's length away from your desk--certainly not several web links away--so that you can use them without hesitation whenever a question about form or meaning occurs to you. If such books are not part of your personal reference library, you will not use them nearly as often as you should. Dictionaries A dictionary is not the same as a spell-checker. When you read, a dictionary is the place to discover the meanings of unknown words; when you write, it is a tool for distinguishing among the nuances of words you already know. A dictionary can tell you many things about a word: its spelling, its pronunciation, its different meanings, even its history. Some of the best dictionaries illustrate such information with examples of proper usage, including special idioms that determine how a particular word will combine with prepositions and other parts of speech. One especially useful tool, the Oxford English Dictionary (commonly abbreviated OED) attempts to illustrate the entire history of every word in the English language with quotations that exemplify each word's changing usage. By reading dictionary entries carefully, you can learn an enormous amount about the rich textures of sound, meaning, and nuance that English has bequeathed us. Invest in a good college dictionary (Webster's New World, the American Heritage, the Random House, or the Merriam-Webster Collegiate are all excellent) and do not let it gather dust. You should never write a paper without referring to it at least a few times. The available online dictionaries can be far more cumbersome to use than hardbound dictionaries. Some dictionaries are coming on the market in CD-ROM formats, but for the moment you would be well advised to stick to a traditional print dictionary." Source and further information: http://www.yale.edu/bass/1tools.html Notice that since we have computers and internet, most of those tools can be found online, so you don't really need to buy them as books. I don't personally agree with the last part of this quote, as far as the use of computers is not a problem for you.

Of course the statement is very true. You can either read it like a novel and discover plenty of exciting and dense words that way. I should refer you to this book http://www.amazon.com/Reading-OED-One-Year-Pages/dp/0399533982/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238522497&sr=8-1 I sort of scanned through it at the bookstore but the book is very fulfilling to the hungry writer, and quite entertaining besides. It really makes you think that in this diverse and vast language, English, there is usually a perfect word for whatever idea you want to express; you just haven't found it yet. Secondly, besides the mere entertainment value (reading it for pleasure of discovering new words) good dictionaries will often help distinguish between two closely related words. Maybe you know that the words "envy" and "jealousy" sort of share the same general meaning but you don't know when to use one or the other, or if they are interchangeable. Well I don't quite know myself so I have to look it up after I finish writing this. For these reasons, I think it is good to have many dictionaries instead of relying on one if you are a serious writer. A lexicographer is not god. He either takes a standard dictionary and improves on it based how it has changed for current usage, or starting from scratch he defines it to the best of his ability based on contexts of various sources, both current and historic. Definitions, therefore, differ from publisher to publisher and it never hurts to gather multiple "takes" on a word; kind of like how people are saying it's good to be open to many cultures. Reference.com is a good way to start. I prefer hardbound dictionaries so I that while I look up a word I am very likely to discover others. Also it takes up good space on my bookshelf so that's a plus for me.

Of course the statement is very true. You can either read it like a novel and discover plenty of exciting and dense words that way. I should refer you to this book http://www.amazon.com/Reading-OED-One-Year-Pages/dp/0399533982/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238522497&sr=8-1 I sort of scanned through it at the bookstore but the book is very fulfilling to the hungry writer, and quite entertaining besides. It really makes you think that in this diverse and vast language, English, there is usually a perfect word for whatever idea you want to express; you just haven't found it yet. Secondly, besides the mere entertainment value (reading it for pleasure of discovering new words) good dictionaries will often help distinguish between two closely related words. Maybe you know that the words "envy" and "jealousy" sort of share the same general meaning but you don't know when to use one or the other, or if they are interchangeable. Well I don't quite know myself so I have to look it up after I finish writing this. For these reasons, I think it is good to have many dictionaries instead of relying on one if you are a serious writer. A lexicographer is not god. He either takes a standard dictionary and improves on it based how it has changed for current usage, or starting from scratch he defines it to the best of his ability based on contexts of various sources, both current and historic. Definitions, therefore, differ from publisher to publisher and it never hurts to gather multiple "takes" on a word; kind of like how people are saying it's good to be open to many cultures. Reference.com is a good way to start. I prefer hardbound dictionaries so I that while I look up a word I am very likely to discover others. Also it takes up good space on my bookshelf so that's a plus for me. For pronunciation, I suppose wouldn't be as helpful to writers as the definition. But it should be looked over as well, say you're writing a speech, you don't want to pronounce "flaccid" like "flasid". Or even more, you write poetry and you're not quite sure if "Thoreau" rhymes with "woe." That's what pronunciation is good for. (discussing more on Iwinit's remark on learning new sounds and pronunciation.)

A dictionary and a thesaurus are both powerful writing tools - when used properly. You want to use a dictionary to confirm that the words you're using mean what you think they do - if you're using the word "inchoate" but not quite sure you're using it properly, a dictionary is a handy thing to have. A thesaurus is useful when you need to vary your language for style and interest - when you don't want to keep using the word "said" or "big" over and over again. But you need to use your thesaurus with a dictionary, so that you're sure the synonym you pick from the thesaurus means something sensible within your writing.