Customer Rating: 
Summary: A tribute to the English language
Comment: This book brings to the forefront the richness of the English language. English is my cherished second language and I feel heavily indebted to it. English has allowed me to travel to some countries where I would have remained almost incommunicado with my native Spanish. Also, English has allowed me access to certain books that deal with topics that are not available in Spanish written books (to my knowledge).
To read this book was a pleasurable experience to me. The book is entertaining, instructive, full of useful information, and, inspiring. This book is a must reading for anybody that loves the English language. Five shining stars for it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Chuckle-worthy and interesting as well...
Comment: This book manages to make the history of the English Language amusing and interesting. It is a thorough examination of words, how we use them and how they evolved - including swear words, cuss words, slang and everyday things like... why DID the yanks take the second 'i' out of aluminium?
Customer Rating:
Summary: candy for English nerds
Comment: The fascinating, humorous, and engaging tale of how the English language grew from the peasant amalgamation of French and German (an easy, simple, and straightforward language without gendered articles) to a multimillion-dollar language spoken the world-over. Chockfull of intriguing trivia (why we can choke also is why we can talk) and important explanations (why our language has more flexibility, more words, and more intricacy than most others, but also why its spelling and grammar is so illogically insane). A great read for any English-nerd. I couldn't put this book down, and I keep recommending it to everyone I know. Grade: A+
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ever wonder why is English screwed up?
Comment: If so, this is the book for you. Bryson takes you on a humorous and fascinating journey through the history of English, and explains the sources of many idiosyncrasies of the language, including odd spellings, irregular verbs, plural nouns like mouse/mice, and more. If you have ever felt stupid because you couldn't remember whether to spell something with ie or ei, this is the book for you -- your self-esteem will improve after reading this book: It isn't your fault, it's this crazy language!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun and instructive
Comment: If you ever wondered why some things happen in the English language the way they do, or why do some apparently inexplicable differences arise between British English, American English and many other "Englishes", then this a book for you. Even though the author is no linguist, he certainly is an accomplished writer, and produced a very interesting book: fun to read and instructive at the same time. The writing style is so attractive, in fact, that it keeps you reading even when the subject itself is a bit too far-fetched or too technical. Overall, it is a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in languages, their history and evolution.
Summary: A tribute to the English language
Comment: This book brings to the forefront the richness of the English language. English is my cherished second language and I feel heavily indebted to it. English has allowed me to travel to some countries where I would have remained almost incommunicado with my native Spanish. Also, English has allowed me access to certain books that deal with topics that are not available in Spanish written books (to my knowledge).
To read this book was a pleasurable experience to me. The book is entertaining, instructive, full of useful information, and, inspiring. This book is a must reading for anybody that loves the English language. Five shining stars for it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Chuckle-worthy and interesting as well...
Comment: This book manages to make the history of the English Language amusing and interesting. It is a thorough examination of words, how we use them and how they evolved - including swear words, cuss words, slang and everyday things like... why DID the yanks take the second 'i' out of aluminium?
Customer Rating:
Summary: candy for English nerds
Comment: The fascinating, humorous, and engaging tale of how the English language grew from the peasant amalgamation of French and German (an easy, simple, and straightforward language without gendered articles) to a multimillion-dollar language spoken the world-over. Chockfull of intriguing trivia (why we can choke also is why we can talk) and important explanations (why our language has more flexibility, more words, and more intricacy than most others, but also why its spelling and grammar is so illogically insane). A great read for any English-nerd. I couldn't put this book down, and I keep recommending it to everyone I know. Grade: A+
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ever wonder why is English screwed up?
Comment: If so, this is the book for you. Bryson takes you on a humorous and fascinating journey through the history of English, and explains the sources of many idiosyncrasies of the language, including odd spellings, irregular verbs, plural nouns like mouse/mice, and more. If you have ever felt stupid because you couldn't remember whether to spell something with ie or ei, this is the book for you -- your self-esteem will improve after reading this book: It isn't your fault, it's this crazy language!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun and instructive
Comment: If you ever wondered why some things happen in the English language the way they do, or why do some apparently inexplicable differences arise between British English, American English and many other "Englishes", then this a book for you. Even though the author is no linguist, he certainly is an accomplished writer, and produced a very interesting book: fun to read and instructive at the same time. The writing style is so attractive, in fact, that it keeps you reading even when the subject itself is a bit too far-fetched or too technical. Overall, it is a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in languages, their history and evolution.