Nominative Determinism: How Your Name Determines Your Fate brings together from across time the dos and don'ts, taboos and customs, fashions and traditions, for naming a baby or person: how a good name brings luck and how a miss is as good as a mile; the various ancient naming techniques using a person's five elements and Chinese zodiacs, supplemented by thought-provoking practical examples; analysis of names and sobriquets from historical and modern figures... This book is practical and yet fun to read. It does not only give you dinner conversation starters, but also precious references for parents and soon-to-be parents who plan to name their babies.