[Book] Word by Word by Kory Stamper
I came across this interesting graphic on the Author's website that will hopefully get you interested in the book - Word by Word by Kory Stamper
There are things around us that we usually don't pay attention to. Things that have a rich and interesting story behind them if we took the time and energy to read up on them. This book, Word by Word, opens up the world of dictionaries, the people who make them and the English language.
Before I talk about the book, let me talk about why I read this book. I've been interested in reading Strunk & White's Elements of Style for a while now. I'm interested in the English language and I'm interested in writing better and Elements of Style is one of the books I've come across a number of times as a good starting point to better my writing.
When I was discussing this with a work colleague (Hi Jonathan!), he recommended that I read Word by Word instead.
Now, coming to the book, it's written by a Lexicographer (Kory Stamper) who works at Merrian-Webster. She is one of the editors who defines the words that end up in the many English dictionaries put out by the company.
From the start, the book is funny and captivating. The author does a great job at pulling the curtain back at a fascinating new world. She talks about how words are defined, how dictionaries have changed over the past few centuries, how controversial words are handled by dictionaries and dictionaries in the digital age.
It's one of the few books that I want to read again in a few months time and a book that I highly recommend to anyone who finds the English language interesting. Or is annoyed by the quirks in the language. Or is interested in learning about new fields of craft.
If you're interested in learning something new, this books will deliver.
 |
| https://korystamper.wordpress.com/word-by-word/ |
There are things around us that we usually don't pay attention to. Things that have a rich and interesting story behind them if we took the time and energy to read up on them. This book, Word by Word, opens up the world of dictionaries, the people who make them and the English language.
Before I talk about the book, let me talk about why I read this book. I've been interested in reading Strunk & White's Elements of Style for a while now. I'm interested in the English language and I'm interested in writing better and Elements of Style is one of the books I've come across a number of times as a good starting point to better my writing.
When I was discussing this with a work colleague (Hi Jonathan!), he recommended that I read Word by Word instead.
Now, coming to the book, it's written by a Lexicographer (Kory Stamper) who works at Merrian-Webster. She is one of the editors who defines the words that end up in the many English dictionaries put out by the company.
From the start, the book is funny and captivating. The author does a great job at pulling the curtain back at a fascinating new world. She talks about how words are defined, how dictionaries have changed over the past few centuries, how controversial words are handled by dictionaries and dictionaries in the digital age.
It's one of the few books that I want to read again in a few months time and a book that I highly recommend to anyone who finds the English language interesting. Or is annoyed by the quirks in the language. Or is interested in learning about new fields of craft.
If you're interested in learning something new, this books will deliver.