The authors of Beyond Jennifer & Jason , the bestseller that revolutionized baby naming, offer the last word on the perfect first name.

Hope is hot, Hortense is not-- at last, here's what parents really need to know before naming a baby.

For years you knew what to expect from a baby-name a long, dull list of names with their dictionary definitions. All that changed with Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- the groundbreaking book on styles and trends in baby names that has been called "the best baby-naming book ever written" ( The News Journal ).

Now Rosenkrantz and Satran return with an all-new baby-name guide that is destined to become a classic. Like other books, it's packed with entries on girls' and boys' names from A to Z, but no one else gives you the inside story on why the world has all the Ashleys it needs, why everyone loves Emily, and why you should or should not call your son Ishmael. Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient myths, current TV series, the Bible, and world literature, The Last Word on First Names is a readable, witty, and illuminating guide to the real-world meaning of Miranda, Max, and thousands of other names from Abigail to Zelig. No one should name a baby without this book.