Word by Word by Kory Stamper Spoiler-Free Review

 

Not sure why I put "spoiler-free", because there isn't anything really to spoil. It's just a informative nonfiction book.

And an interesting one, too! Word by Word by Kory Stamper is a nonfiction book all about how the dictionary (well, in this case, Merriam-Webster dictionaries) are made, and the history of them. Intertwined there's even a history on some words in the English language and grammar. 

The author herself works for Merriam-Webster, and she also talks about what she and her coworkers do at their jobs to help write the dictionary we all know and love. Let me tell you, it was really fascinating and eye-opening! She debunked a lot of myths I personally had about how dictionaries are written. She also talked about the history of the English language and even myths about certain words and grammar.

Some things that stood out to me that I learned were: lexicographers (like the author) aren't the only ones writing the dictionary. They have employees from so many backgrounds working on it (with science backgrounds, political backgrounds, etc.) to help define certain words. The workers also use so many resources to find and define words, from popular news articles to gossip magazines. It's way harder to define "easy" words that "harder" words (how do you define the word "take" with using the word in the definition?) How do you deal with different pronunciations of particular words, and dealing with peoples' reactions to definitions of words that a lot don't agree with? How about dealing with swear words? There's a chapter for all of that! 

I recommend this book if you love linguistics, or if you just want a book talking in detail about something seemingly mundane, such as the dictionary and language. You will very likely learn a lot of new things! The author herself also has a very sassy and fun way of narrating and delivering information, so it is not a dull ride at all. 

But I did give this 4 stars. There are some swear words and some heated topics sprinkled throughout the book, and that is including one chapter all about swear words. Again, your mileage may vary, but please be cautious while reading if swearing and minor hot button topics aren't really your things. 

Have you ever read a nonfiction book about a seemingly mundane topic? Let me know in the comments! This is a great opportunity for more recommendations.