Herein are contained the sardonic definitions published by Ambrose Bierce as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906; augmented, edited and republished by the illustrious author in 1911 as The Devil's Dictionary. Unlike other editions which modify, tone down and make moronic additions to Bierce's original Devil's Dictionary, presented here are the complete contents of the 1911 edition without deletions, modifications or embellishments, of any kind, which might diminish the impact of the original politically incorrect collection; hence, the redundantly worded description of this volume as "Complete and Unabridged". This editorial license would surely have caused Bierce to go ballistic if he were still alive.

Ambrose Bierce was an extraordinary individual: a veteran of the American Civil War, renowned writer, political pundit, social commentator and, in many ways, a philosopher who was ahead of his time. His mysterious disappearance, in 1914 during the Mexican Revolution, was the subject of the movie: Old Gringo.

Shortly before he vanished, he wrote to a friend: "Good-bye - if you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags please know that I think that is a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico - ah, that is euthanasia".

His own definition of cynic suited him well:
"CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's eyes to improve his vision."

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The Devil's Dictionary was begun in a weekly paper in 1881. In this book , Ambrose Bierce skewers far more the world of politics, but it is the political realm where Bierce's observations are astonishingly and depressingly relevant a centry later. Please Note: This book is easy to read in true text, not scanned images that can sometimes be difficult to decipher. The Microsoft eBook has a contents page linked to the chapter headings for easy navigation. The Adobe eBook has bookmarks at chapter headings and is printable up to two full copies per year. Both versions are text searchable.