Identify Books Concering Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

Original Title:	Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
ISBN:	110187094X (ISBN13: 9781101870945)
Edition Language:	English
Literary Awards:	Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2017)

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries Hardcover | Pages: 296 pages

Commentary Conducive To Books Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

Brimming with intelligence and personality, a vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made a must read for word mavens.

While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, the process of writing them is in fact as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography--from the agonizing decisions about what and how to define, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define (have you ever tried to define is ?), how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. Throughout, Stamper brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a world inhabited by quirky, erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. A sure delight for all lovers of words, Word by Word might also quietly improve readers grasp and use of the English language."

Declare Based On Books Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

Title	:	Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
Author	:	Kory Stamper
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	Anniversary Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 296 pages
Published	:	March 14th 2017 by Pantheon Books
Categories	:	Nonfiction. Humanities. Language. Writing. Books About Books. Linguistics. Autobiography. Memoir

Rating Based On Books Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

Ratings: 4.18 From 6117 Users | 1235 Reviews

Assessment Based On Books Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries

From your review, I decided to buy Word For Word. My friend will like this and it will be a Birthday gift. Thanks

An incredibly thorough and fascinating look at the process of writing a dictionary, and a defense of the dictionary's job as a recorder of usage instead of a prescriber. I gave it five stars in appreciation for the intensive research that went into creating this, but four stars in terms of my actual interest in reading paragraphs full of citations or pronunciations. I enjoyed the parts that felt most like a memoir-- Stamper explaining how she got her job and Merriam-Webster or telling anecdotes

When I was in about 6th grade, when my class went to the library, I would take the 6" (or so) thick dictionary off its podium and sit with it, looking for words I didn't know. So, when I saw the advance copy of this book, I HAD to read it. It's just lovely. Written by a lexicographer at Miriam-Webster, it's an ode to words, definitions, and pronunciations. I love the acknowledgements, written as definitions.

In 2016 we had a memoir from the chief editor of the OED The Word Detective and now here's one from an editor at Merriam-Webster. Truly, dic-lit has never been so popular. Where John Simpson was personable and thorough if a little sober, perhaps Kory Stamper is all breathless enthusiasm; at times this means she comes across (quite wrongly) as more ingénue than expert, but she more than makes up for it with several brilliant case studies of how lexicography interacts with real people and a

Two typos and three "snuck"s; otherwise a perfect book for us word nerds.

Two typos and three "snuck"s; otherwise a perfect book for us word nerds.

The book you didn't even know you wanted to read! Who would have thought a book about dictionaries and lexicographers could be so completely enjoyable and immensely entertaining! I would not have immediately gravitated to a book like this, imagining that it would be much too dry, and better suited for hard-core word nerds and academics! But when a few GR friends gave it glowing recommendations, using words such as comedic , fascinating, and candid in their reviews, I was intrigued. I mean, I