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A review by bookstolivewith
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper
4.0
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Absolutely loved reading Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper and it was a great way to kick off my 2020 reading! It’s the perfect book for anyone who is into words, English, history, the exchange between language and culture or even if you were just one of those kids who was obsessed with looking up words in the dictionary!
It’s a wonderfully funny (roaringly hilarious, actually) and interesting exploration of exactly what happens behind-the-scenes when crafting a new edition of the dictionary. Stamper’s touches about her and her collegues’ experiences made the story so personal (as she worked for Merriam-Webster for years), it was so unbelievably well-written, and just absolutely fascinating for someone who had never previously considered exactly how much work goes into a single definition.
In college, I took a class where we were required to write out definitions and keep close tabs on the dictionary’s dates for certain words as they first appear in print. It seemed like tedious work at first, but I actually grew to love that research and it gave me a greater appreciation for how words develop over time. Word by Word gave me a deeper appreciation for those who work to record those changes and developments!
Absolutely loved reading Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper and it was a great way to kick off my 2020 reading! It’s the perfect book for anyone who is into words, English, history, the exchange between language and culture or even if you were just one of those kids who was obsessed with looking up words in the dictionary!
It’s a wonderfully funny (roaringly hilarious, actually) and interesting exploration of exactly what happens behind-the-scenes when crafting a new edition of the dictionary. Stamper’s touches about her and her collegues’ experiences made the story so personal (as she worked for Merriam-Webster for years), it was so unbelievably well-written, and just absolutely fascinating for someone who had never previously considered exactly how much work goes into a single definition.
In college, I took a class where we were required to write out definitions and keep close tabs on the dictionary’s dates for certain words as they first appear in print. It seemed like tedious work at first, but I actually grew to love that research and it gave me a greater appreciation for how words develop over time. Word by Word gave me a deeper appreciation for those who work to record those changes and developments!