All in a Word

Delve into the hidden nature of words:

An irresistible mix of information, curiosity, and fun

Linguist Vivian Cook takes us on a brilliant seriesof excursions into the history and meaning of words: How do we learn words as a child? How are words born, and why do they die? Why do some never get spoken, and others never written? Each chapter is charminglyillustrated--and accompanied by a rich assortment of games, lists, puzzles, and quotes. From polite words to crass words, from p-c words to Shakespeare's words, from food and wine words to jazz and drugwords--the book is an exciting exploration into the abundance and variety of words.

Looks at the way one learns words as a child and offers an explanation of the ways words come into being and how they are discarded.

Vivian Cook is a professor of applied linguistics at Newcastle University. He is the author of the bestselling Accomodating Brocolli in the Cemetary: Or Why Can't Anybody Spell, which he was inspired to write out of frustration with those who, not knowing the crucial gender difference between the British spellings Vivian and Vivien assume from his first name that he is a woman. He lives in Colchester, England.