cathodg's review against another edition
4.0
I usually stick to fiction but in preparation for a move to America I thought I’d do some research and try to understand them a bit more.
I must admit there were a number of sections I scanned over particularly the early stuff about the founding. As a bit of a foodie I found the ‘Eating in America’ section really interesting.
An amusing if slightly baffling at times. Not something I’d read a second time but glad I picked it up.
I must admit there were a number of sections I scanned over particularly the early stuff about the founding. As a bit of a foodie I found the ‘Eating in America’ section really interesting.
An amusing if slightly baffling at times. Not something I’d read a second time but glad I picked it up.
livrad's review against another edition
4.0
I love Bill Bryson, and he has long been the king of my list of favorite non-fiction reads. He is relatable, sometimes cantankerous, droll, and as evidenced by this book, has too much knowledge about too many things. This look at the evolution of American English, which started to separate from British English as early as 1630, was long and thorough. It would best be enjoyed piecemeal, instead of in one go, so as not to burn out. In our household, it was a group exercise, though. I read this, highlighting everything that was too fascinating not to share, and then I would read those bits every day to my spouse for his enjoyment.
erin_oriordan_is_reading_again's review against another edition
5.0
I've read this book twice, because I'm so fascinated by this humorous etymology of American English words. I still keep it around for reference.
meknight's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
mamalemma's review against another edition
3.0
I have never had a book “in progress” for so long. This is not an indictment of the book at all. It is filled with fascinating information, and I frequently found myself reading aloud to my family (to their chagrin) the interesting things I was learning. But it wasn’t compelling. It is the kind of book you keep on your coffee table and read a chapter from time to time. And in fact, that’s essentially what I did (though my “coffee table” was my Kindle and the sporadic download from the library). It must also be said that I picked up the book at the start of the pandemic as an alternative to a book that was weighing my heart down tremendously (Thanks, “The Overstory” — great book, wrong time in history to read it) and my focus this past year has been wretched. I really needed compelling stories of humans overcoming obstacles, rather than snippets of interesting facts. I hate leaving books that I like unfinished, so I’m very glad I finished it, even if it took over a year and many library checkouts to do so.
mjsteimle's review against another edition
5.0
Full of great random facts! A journey through American history and character using language as a vehicle.