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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Great stuff, as usual with Bryson. Pieces lead off in various interesting directions and tell you all sorts of interesting things about the language we use. I consider myself pretty well read but I am continually amazed at how much I learn from each of his books.
3.5 stars
I didn't give the book a higher rating, because as an audio book, this one isn't the greatest. The narrator does a great job but the text itself doesn't always lend itself to reading out loud: Bryson uses a LOT of word lists and I just couldn't stay tuned in - my mind wandered.
Wordier review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/1278464/madeinamerica
I didn't give the book a higher rating, because as an audio book, this one isn't the greatest. The narrator does a great job but the text itself doesn't always lend itself to reading out loud: Bryson uses a LOT of word lists and I just couldn't stay tuned in - my mind wandered.
Wordier review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/1278464/madeinamerica
An extremely detailed and most entertaining "word" history of the United States by one of my favorite writers. Bryson focuses particularly on "Americanisms"--words or phrases which are native to this country.
Although I don’t live in America, it is obvious that they have had a big influence on the English language. Bill Bryson’s ‘Made In America’ explores the history of America and the effects it had on the language. I found the most interesting parts to do with censorship in America, from titbit becoming tidbit, cockroach becoming roach and to the extreme case of political correction which wanted to stop the use of terms like blackeye and blacksmith (but interestingly enough, not blackout). I feel I’ve gained some valuable insight into why American English is different to the commonly used Queens’ English, while getting a history into commonly used terms. Bill Bryson writes in such a way that it makes this book easy to read and at times humorous, which I feel is what you want in a Non Fiction book.
It isn’t that often that you can say, “I enjoy history, linguistics, and trivia,” and have all your interests addressed and satisfied in the same book. Billy Bryson manages this in Made in America, which is, true to its subtitle, an informal history of the English language in the United States.
Bryson’s engaging style and unfailing humour shine in this book. He breaks down his research into different categories rather than just starting at America’s earliest point in history and jumping around from there. Thus, each chapter is fairly well self-contained, and it’s easy to look up a fact or idea just from the chapter categories rather than trying to remember where in America’s history something occurred.
I say “fairly well” self-contained because there are a few problems with this system, most notably in the inconsistency Bryson has in bringing up facts that he already mentioned in previous chapters. He does his best to make sure that the earlier chapter gets the detailed explanation, and the problem doesn’t lie so much in no explanation at all but rather in getting the explanation repeated.
Still, as this doesn’t happen incredibly often, it’s easy to overlook so that the rest of the book can be enjoyed without problem.
With great style and wit, Bryson accomplishes what so many teachers cannot – he makes history, and language, intensely interesting. This is one book that comes with a high recommendation from me. It’s not for everyone, but anyone with an interest in history or linguistics will find something to appreciate. In this book, you’ll learn things that you weren’t even aware that you didn’t know.
Bryson’s engaging style and unfailing humour shine in this book. He breaks down his research into different categories rather than just starting at America’s earliest point in history and jumping around from there. Thus, each chapter is fairly well self-contained, and it’s easy to look up a fact or idea just from the chapter categories rather than trying to remember where in America’s history something occurred.
I say “fairly well” self-contained because there are a few problems with this system, most notably in the inconsistency Bryson has in bringing up facts that he already mentioned in previous chapters. He does his best to make sure that the earlier chapter gets the detailed explanation, and the problem doesn’t lie so much in no explanation at all but rather in getting the explanation repeated.
Still, as this doesn’t happen incredibly often, it’s easy to overlook so that the rest of the book can be enjoyed without problem.
With great style and wit, Bryson accomplishes what so many teachers cannot – he makes history, and language, intensely interesting. This is one book that comes with a high recommendation from me. It’s not for everyone, but anyone with an interest in history or linguistics will find something to appreciate. In this book, you’ll learn things that you weren’t even aware that you didn’t know.