Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
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When I started reading Wolman's book, I was surprised to find myself feeling excited, emotional, inspired, and sometimes even angry, over the stories he was sharing.
This book helped me understand some folks' enthusiasm for spell check or text messaging--and others' resistance to them--and made me see them in the context of centuries of language change. Wolman introduces his readers to a number of personalities (dead and alive) who sort of act as guides and make the book relatable. Learning about orthography from multiple characters in different places and times really made it click for me: spelling is a living thing, as much about the human voice as the written word.
I also appreciated Wolman's ability to remain open and curious throughout his journey. He's upfront about his own perspective, but he really just offers the reader a starting point for thinking about the future of words and spelling. It was a fantastic introduction to orthography, leaving me appropriately awed and curious. And I'll never look at a spelling mistake the same again.
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Alishabethadams has commented on (1) product.
Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling by David Wolman
Alishabethadams, March 24, 2009
When I started reading Wolman's book, I was surprised to find myself feeling excited, emotional, inspired, and sometimes even angry, over the stories he was sharing.This book helped me understand some folks' enthusiasm for spell check or text messaging--and others' resistance to them--and made me see them in the context of centuries of language change. Wolman introduces his readers to a number of personalities (dead and alive) who sort of act as guides and make the book relatable. Learning about orthography from multiple characters in different places and times really made it click for me: spelling is a living thing, as much about the human voice as the written word.
I also appreciated Wolman's ability to remain open and curious throughout his journey. He's upfront about his own perspective, but he really just offers the reader a starting point for thinking about the future of words and spelling. It was a fantastic introduction to orthography, leaving me appropriately awed and curious. And I'll never look at a spelling mistake the same again.
(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)