How to Sound Clever:
Master the 600 English Words You Pretend to Understand When You Don't;
by Hubert van den Bergh,
A&C Black (November 15, 2010), 224 pages.

This book contains a collection of 600 words compiled by the author as words you hear all the time, read in newspapers and THINK you understand from the context, but you've probably never taken the time to look them up and learn their correct meaning.  Each entry is clearly defined and includes an example of usage. But unlike a regular dictionary, when you thumb through the pages of HOW TO SOUND CLEVER you'll immediately get hooked and think "oh, THAT's what it means!" With this entertaining and enlightening volume you'll be able to pepper your prose with intriguing nuance. By making these 600 useful words, like "agent provocateur" and "apparatchik", part of your vocabulary you'll be able to stand out in a crowd with your clear erudition!
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Sound-Clever-English-Understand/dp/1408125099