Words Words Words

Really interesting with exactly the right amount of detail in all the right places. Words Words Words covers a really broad selection topics within the subject of English Language. It's got loads of interesting, quirky facts and discussion points about English whilst being a good read. David Crystal's passion for the subject shines thorough but it is clearly written, for anyone who speaks English so it's not just for people with a vested interest in this topic. If you speak English, you'll find this really interesting.

To write a book about words which is a page-turner would I suppose be a difficult task. So we can forgive David Crystal the fact this is no page-turner. It is, however, an interesting read. It's a well-laid out and accessible book, and I learnt some interesting facts from it. Personally, I'd have liked more coverage of the history of individual words - though the book does have an interesting chapter on the birth and evolution of words - but this is perhaps beyond the remit of such a book. The book is most suitable for someone who is new to the subject of linguistics (as I am), and would probably be too basic for anyone with any kind of existing knowledge of the field.