We can’t think of another book that is this funny and this smart all at the same time.
The topic of this book, like Language Log itself, is linguistics. But heck, why limit it to just that? It may be that this book is really about Dan Brown’s atrocious prose styling, or maybe it’s Derrida’s inability to express a direct thought. It might be Slate’s Jacob Weisberg’s misguided criticisms of Bush 43. It could even be the silliness of some people to note that the use of “might” in that last sentence is an example of a word that is dying off. Children’s jinxes? Pete Rose? Yankeehood? Language choices for ATM users? When you pick up this book, you never know what you’re in for, but you know it will be something lively, something interesting, and something to get you thinking about language in new ways. For this reason, we think it’s an invaluable resource for anyone involved with dispensing usage advice, including teachers, employers, and copy editors.
The reviews are in. Far From the Madding Gerund is all kinds of fun and all kinds of smart. We are thrilled that partly as a result of this book, Language Log continues to grow its readership.
The Language Log bedside edition offers relief for those whose eyes and brains get fatigued trying to make it through lengthy, thought-provoking material onscreen.
And as Jan Freeman says, “print, as any book lover will tell you, has compensating pleasures--and you can't tie a ribbon on a URL.”
Order Far From the Madding Gerund online through William, James & Company on our secure site. Shipping is free and timely in the continental U.S.
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