A review by susannam
An Exaltation of Larks: The Ultimate Edition by James Lipton

5.0

My parents had a copy of the first edition of An Exaltation of Larks. I remember enjoying leafing through that copy and enjoying the playful descriptors of groups. I don't recall how deeply James Lipton went in that first edition, but this ultimate edition is considerably augmented. Lipton writes about going deeper into the origins of "venery", this delightful and insightful way of both describing and categorizing groups of animals, objects and people. I had no idea that this game of venery was an entertainment several hundred years ago, and that phrases we take for granted like "a pack of dogs", "a hill of beans", "a string of ponies" and many others arose from this aristocratic pursuit. Lipton takes us through those familiar turns of phrase just to point out how they have enriched our language and then deliciously resurrects others that have fallen into disuse. He finally offers pages and pages of contemporary offerings, many of which were contributed by readers of his first book. In the last pages, he offers ways for you to take part in the game of venery, in the form of parlor games. Anyone who loves words will enjoy a deep dive into the richness of the English language offered here by James Lipton.