What’s in a Word? Mario Pei. Pei
gives the reader a basic course in the history of the English language.
Dictionary of
Foreign Terms.
A compendium of short, pithy, thought-provoking statements.
The Oxford Book of Aphorisms. A collection of aphorisms listed by topics. Perhaps
the best advice for reading books of aphorisms is the aphorism on page 2: “The
only way to read a book of aphorisms without being bored is to open it at
random and having found something that interests you, close the book and
meditate.” Prince DeLigne, 1796.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of
Allusions. I bet you think reading dictionaries
is a nerdish activity. Maybe so, but if you love language, you have to enjoy
reading books that talk about words. In this review of allusions, you will find
a rich assortment of indirect references, references assumed by writers to be
understood by their readers and
therefore unexplained. Spot an allusion you don’t understand? Look it up in
this book.
Strictly Speaking:
Will America Be the Death of English? Edwin Newman. If you love a good “rant,” this book is one
of the better ones on a topic that everyone loves to rant on—the American
language. “Newman’s wry eye focuses on the sorry state of the English language
as a reflection of the sorry state of society. If words are devalued, he
argues, so are ideas and so are human beings. He rejoices in language that is
lucid, graceful, direct, civilized.” He points out the gobbledygook that passes
for public language in the media and the business world.
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