5 stars
This book was perfect. I’ll admit, it took me longer than usual to finish this one. Part of that was that I often have a few minutes to read here and there during my workday. I tried reading it then, but didn’t get very far and kept forgetting what was going on and would have to reread sections. I eventually found it best to read an entire chapter at a time (perfect for my weekly read-in-the-bathtub-nights). Once I got into the swing of things, I really looked forward to the next time I could read a chapter.
Honestly, this is just such a fascinating book. It’s something I never really thought about before. I love words and books and language, but this was a whole new perspective for me. And it was so amazing. I really loved it.
Stamper discusses such topics as defining “wrong words” (words that aren’t words, but become words through common use), example sentences, pronunciation, and reader correspondence. My favorite section was on “bad words”. It was so interesting.
My husband heard about this book on NPR and bought it for me (because he knows me so well). It is one of the best books I have ever read. Deeply fascinating and very well written with just the right amount of humor. I absolutely loved Stamper’s writing style.
If you love words, this is the book for you. Highly recommend.