The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time

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The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time

by Jeff Deck (Goodreads Author), Benjamin D. Herson (Goodreads Author)

3.18 of 5 stars 3.18 · rating details · 785 ratings · 264 reviews

The signs of the times are missing apostrophes.

The world needed a hero, but how would an editor with no off-switch answer the call? For Jeff Deck, the writing was literally on the wall: “NO TRESSPASSING.” In that moment, his greater purpose became clear. Dark hordes of typos had descended upon civilization… and only he could wield the marker to defeat them.

Recruiting his f...more

Hardcover, 269 pages

Published August 3rd 2010 by Crown (first published 2010)

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Feb 04, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I should begin this post with a disclaimer. As a lover of words, a notorious pedant, grammar nazi extraordinaire, and neologiser of the word "misapostrophication" I have a vested interest in the subject matter of this book. I hold an honours degree in linguistics, have spent more than a few years in publishing (okay, just a few--I'm twenty-five, after all), have a thing for asyndetic coordination. On my good days I like to consider myself a descriptivist, merrily taking in the language usage of...more

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May 13, 2013 Gerry rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm an editor. Sure, I work at a pharmaceutical ad agency, not the New York Times, but I am paid to catch typos, correct grammar, and uphold the tenets of the style guide. At work, I care about these things. Today, for instance, I spent half an hour fixing one sentence. I talked the fix over with two different editors. Then I talked to the copywriter about the sentence, and then we fixed it. Then, after we fixed it, I fixed it again. At work, people expect me to care.

But off the clock, I don't c...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Velma rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: The apostrophe police

Shelves: non-fiction, on-language, 2010-reads

You should know that had I written my review before finishing the book, it might have been a '1-star', or maybe a '2-star' affair; which is to say, since I eventually awarded this book 3 stars, that it gets better so don't, when you inevitably want to, bail on this book.

The reason I feel so torn is not because the premise isn't an intriguing one (it is), nor is it because the author can't write (he can). No, it's because the author often writes too much. I think he was going for wry and dry, übe...more You should know that had I written my review before finishing the book, it might have been a '1-star', or maybe a '2-star' affair; which is to say, since I eventually awarded this book 3 stars, that it gets better so don't, when you inevitably want to, bail on this book.

The reason I feel so torn is not because the premise isn't an intriguing one (it is), nor is it because the author can't write (he can). No, it's because the author often writes too much. I think he was going for wry and dry, über-hyperbole (überperbole?) for effect, kind of an Americanized Lynn Truss, but he generally missed the mark. Deck's self-described style of "self-parodying pomposity" read like actual pomposity. His use of tortured imagery ("No one else has ever cut such a finely limned cookie on the dried batter of my heart."), combined with his obsession with grandiose phrasing and 50-cent words ("...had to worry about the diner staff concealing sputum in my meal..." really could have been just "spit in my lunch"), really left this reader thinking he must have written The Great Typo Hunt with his Roget's planted in his lap.

Those complaints aside, maybe Mr. Deck had his thesaurus planted, if not in his lap, firmly in his cheek. Eventually, the overwrought passages both grew on me and gave way to some interesting discussions of the bigger picture behind the portrait of a couple of typo hunters: the why of the quest, indie retail vs. Walmartization, prescriptive and descriptive approaches to grammar and punctuation, and the methods used in the U.S. to teach spelling and reading to name just a few. I found the expository passages much more compelling and less overworked than the descriptive bits. And when Deck dove into the history of dictionaries, I got all moist.

So, if, like me, your panties get all bunched up when you see an it's where an its should be, pick this little travelogue up and stick with it. And if you are reading this Mr. Deck, when you next pen a volume, be sure to follow Coco Chanel's advice: before you head out the door headed to your publisher's, take out one big word and you will have achieved the perfect balance in the look of your prose.

PS - I was wrong about the P's and Q's comment in my progress notes.
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Mar 23, 2011 Dolly rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who enjoy reading books about grammar

Shelves: nonfiction, new-england, humor, 2011, birthday, other-usa

I rather enjoyed this story. It takes a few not-so-recent college graduates on a journey of exploration...to see the country and to fix grammatical and spelling errors where they find them. I love that it ends up being a journey of self-discovery as well as a lesson in humility. My one complaint is that the authors use too many "50-cent" words. They caution the reader to self-edit and review. I think they should have edited their own book a bit more to use less flowery language (see the list of...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Ensiform rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, language

After his five-year college reunion, editor and writer Deck was left looking for a last road trip that he could infuse with meaning. Hitting upon the idea of correcting “typos” (read: mistakes based on poor literacy skills) found in public signs, he and a friend formed the somewhat tongue-in-cheek Typo Eradication Advancement League and started on their quest, armed with Sharpies and correction fluid. It’s all fun and games until the friends make the naïve mistake of correcting a sign on public...more After his five-year college reunion, editor and writer Deck was left looking for a last road trip that he could infuse with meaning. Hitting upon the idea of correcting “typos” (read: mistakes based on poor literacy skills) found in public signs, he and a friend formed the somewhat tongue-in-cheek Typo Eradication Advancement League and started on their quest, armed with Sharpies and correction fluid. It’s all fun and games until the friends make the naïve mistake of correcting a sign on public land, and they are accused of vandalism.

This was a fun read; quirky adventure stories with a hook more or less write themselves. But while Deck (who is the sole narrator) is an engaging, affable voice, I was a little put off by his conceptualization of how typos come about, which is arrestingly naïve: deep into his quest, he notes “we thought we saw evidence that these [grammatical and spelling] essentials weren’t being fully acquired by the populace.” This is such a wishy-washy cop-out with so many qualifiers – it’s obvious Deck doesn’t want to come off as an educated elitist – that it borders on self-parody. The plain fact is that these are not “typos” at all, but errors made by a public too stupid to know how to study or read and too proud of ignorance to care. But Deck doesn’t want to admit that, so he comes across to me as spineless. It isn’t until page 183 that Deck asks, “What was the principle that guided the [mis-]speller? There wasn’t one. Many were guessing, as if they’d never been taught to pay attention to the letters when learning to read.” “As if” they’d never been taught? It is first of all obvious to a blind fool that most people who make these mistakes are guessing and know nothing of how language is guided by rules, so Deck’s remark is that of a clueless person. Second, it is clearly blaming teachers rather than the families and children who deride education and don’t bother listening to even the poor instruction they do get. Deck tries so hard not to offend “the public” with this mock-surprise at uneducated people’s lack of education, that, unfortunately, at the end he decides to throw in his lot with Direct Instruction, which is forced scripts for the inadequate teachers we already have. While he’s a fine writer and undoubtedly a skilled editor, I found Deck to be clueless about American education. So although their whimsical trip made for amusing reading, it left a bad taste in my mouth. (less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Osho rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

An amusing cross-country sojourn to correct typos, including prosecution for unwittingly desecrating an historical sign. The tone wears on one in places, but I can't fault their intentions, and do admire their discussions of descriptive versus prescriptive linguistics.

The first major typo I remember encountering in my childhood was at a mall. The signboard, which should have read "The Hecht Company Will Be Close to You" (Just like me/Hecht's want to be/Close to you) instead proclaimed "The Hecht...more

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Aug 17, 2010 Sarah Wingo rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: book clubs

So um, this book is awesome. I'm not even sure where to start with how awesomely well put together this book is (guess that's what happens when an editor writes a book). First of all Borders has it shelved in the "Writing Style" section of the store, and while I realize that it is about grammar and punctuation I feel that categorization it has been given is misleading. What this book achieves is not a dry or tedious lecture on grammatical style, but rather a Bill Bryson-esque travel writing styl...more So um, this book is awesome. I'm not even sure where to start with how awesomely well put together this book is (guess that's what happens when an editor writes a book). First of all Borders has it shelved in the "Writing Style" section of the store, and while I realize that it is about grammar and punctuation I feel that categorization it has been given is misleading. What this book achieves is not a dry or tedious lecture on grammatical style, but rather a Bill Bryson-esque travel writing style which conveys a sense of fun and adventure to its reader.

This book manages to be engaging throughout, without losing steam near the end like some travel writers (or just nonfiction writers in general) I've encountered in the past. It also does an excellent job of exploring tangents without getting lost in them.

One of the biggest and most pleasant surprises that awaited me in this book is how unpretentious the author is (both Jeff and Benjamin are listed as the authors, but Jeff is the narrator so for now he's the author I'm going to refer to). What I love about him is that as he states many times it's not about catching someone making a mistake it is about setting the mistake right without judgment of the individual. He is also continually considering the new points of view that the individuals he encounters bring up, which I really appreciate. Along these lines he does something truly amazing, he acknowledges a point which was bothering me from the very start of my reading. The fact that the standardization of grammar, punctuation and spelling is actually a relatively new thing (only a couple of hundred years old). He acknowledges this fact without being dismissive or condescending and in fact uses it as an opportunity for an intelligent debate over how it informs his quest.

On a more personal note I knew pretty much from the get go that I was going to at least get a moderate amount of enjoyment out of this book. The author is only five years older than me and seems to share a great many interests with me and the sort of people I tend to befriend. This had the result of making all of his cultural references particularly amusing for me. He also manages to reference tons of books and authors without it sounding the least bit forced or pretentious. Every time I'd come across a reference to a book, author or cultural moment that I recognized (and there were a lot) I'd find myself smiling and loving him just a little bit more. This isn't always the case, I've read plenty of books where the author's reference to a work of literature will leave me thinking "you're just saying that to sound intelligent, but really you're a moron."

*Extra bonus points for using the word "mountebank" (p.127).
*And I was nerdishly(spell check be damned) glee-filled by his numerous nods to Shakespeare. (less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Will rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-knowledge, travel

I am a news producer and this book was a great read about the search for typos in everyday society that drive me crazy.

Their search across the country made me shake my head at times.

in many ways this is a great book about a cross-country road trip.

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Feb 09, 2011 M. E. Kinkade rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fixing grammar AND referencing The Lord of the Rings? I think I've found my intellectual soulmate!

Ok, now that I've finished the book... it is amazing. I love the way Deck analyzes not only his trip, but the value of language, the changes over time and culture, and the value of education. It's SUCH an informative and inspiring read.

Count me in as a member of TEAL!

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Apr 02, 2013 Michelle Lancaster rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed

Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction At a Time
By Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson
Random House, Inc. 269 pgs
978-0-307-59108-1
Rating: Read This Book!

orthography 1. The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage. 2. The aspect of language study concerned with letters and their sequences in words. 3. A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling.

I am nervous. I am about to review a book about typos and I will edit this thing...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know it sounds crazy to say this about a book about typo-correcting, but this book would make a great movie!
I see other reviews saying it was a little slow and long-winded, and I see their points. (No offense to Mr. Deck, but sometimes the philosophy got a little dull.) However, that is exactly why a movie could be great. Notice, the right characters are all there: the hero, Jeff Deck (who even has a hero-ish sounding name, IMO), his trusty sidekick Benjamin, who will follow him anywhere and e...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Kip rated it 4 of 5 stars

I saw a lot of myself in Jeff Deck. Here's a (self-avowed) nerd roaming the country, using self-deprecating hyperbole to describe his mission of erasing typos from public signage across the United States. Anyone that spends more than 5 minutes with me can probably tell this is the kind of tale I would enjoy.

But, as it turns out, the typos themselves weren't the most interesting part of Deck's travel log. While a few of them were certainly more than amusing, in writing this review none of them re...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Regina Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

In 2007, Jeff Deck attended his five year college reunion. Feeling inadequate next to the accomplishments of his fellow classmates, Deck soul searches for a way he can make a contribution to the world around him. “ ‘So, Jeff, what have YOU been doing?’ they’d ask, with the unspoken postscript: ‘…for humanity?’ ” Coalescing this desire with a more selfish “road trip” dream, he decides to put his English degree to work by traveling the country, identifying spelling or grammatical errors, and urgin...more In 2007, Jeff Deck attended his five year college reunion. Feeling inadequate next to the accomplishments of his fellow classmates, Deck soul searches for a way he can make a contribution to the world around him. “ ‘So, Jeff, what have YOU been doing?’ they’d ask, with the unspoken postscript: ‘…for humanity?’ ” Coalescing this desire with a more selfish “road trip” dream, he decides to put his English degree to work by traveling the country, identifying spelling or grammatical errors, and urging their correction.

What follows is a comical look at how citizens view the English language and the mishaps of communication. Sometimes people were grateful to be spared further embarrassment, sometimes there was a “you’re not from around these parts son, are you?” mentality, and once charges were pressed when Deck and his side kick took it upon themselves to correct a sign at the Grand Canyon that the National Parks Service viewed as historic, charging them with vandalism. The team gained a following through their blog, with followers breaking out into grammar hawks and grammar hippies. Adding to the light hearted nature, each chapter starts with a comic strip like introduction to the locale visited.

The first part of the book was laugh out loud funny, but it began to drag at mid-point. I mean, how long can grammar correction tickle your funny bone? I don’t think the book is for everyone. I think English majors and journalists will appreciate it, as there is a lengthy comparison to AP, MLA, and Chicago (of which I had no idea existed) styles. Those who love language and wit will find it amusing, as there is a great deal of play on words throughout. Finally, it is for anyone wanting a humorous way to revisit grammar rules. It is ironic that I enjoyed the book. I have become a victim of technology. With a touchscreen “smart” phone that constantly predicts what I want to say combined with the speed in which I throw together FB posts and Shelfari reviews, I often cringe when I go back and read what I typed out. Oh well, at least I will help keep the Typo Eradication Advance League in business.(less)

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May 10, 2012 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Let me say that I liked this much better than Eats, Shoots, and Leaves -- in that it tried to have a narrative line as well as an opinion about whether the dash in this sentence is used correctly. And I am always fascinated by how people manage to fund these kinds of projects (and what the Internet will get excited about). Some things are better blogs than they are books.

I am afraid that the chase for signs to correct just wasn't that interesting, and the writing style is trying too hard to make...more

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Jan 16, 2012 steven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Two people go around the country fixing typos. You know that bit. So what?

In addition, the instigator of this plan is a bit shy, so he has trouble confronting people about their typos. Again, so what?

The real crux of the story begins about halfway through, when he begins asking the same questions. Why is he so intent on fixing typos? What do typos, essentially, represent, aside from money spent (or not spent in a particular store), time lost, confusion garnered? Are there sociological and racial...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Adam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

A great idea, but a little underwhelming, and I never quite got into the humor of the intentional overwriting (or maybe it just wasn't that funny.

However, I was surprised by the discussions of sociology, philosophy, etc. that the trip engendered, and found some enlightening. For example, I didn't anticipate a digression about how retail workers have no incentive to make good decisions because they can only be punished for bad ones. (Or, as it's put on p68 -- "Our gift to those above us in the co...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Kristal Cooper added it

Disturbed because he hadn't done anything useful with his life by his 5-year (?!?) high school reunion, Jeff Beck decided to tour the United States with the goal of finding typos in public places and correcting them. When I saw an interview with this guy on the Today Show, I thought that it was a great thing to do, just probably not worthy of a whole book. Unfortunately, I was 120% right. There's not much substance, but you will find more adjectives and adverbs than you thought it was humanly po...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here you go again: another book on the English language.

I enjoyed this smartly written book, and was glad that there are still some young people out there who REALLY know their language and how to use it with humor and seriousness at the same time.

As you go further in the book, you discover more important aspects of language and society, and it opens interesting questions. The major turning point is of course what happened at the Grand Canyon. I expected this book to be only funny, but I learned...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Jafar rated it 2 of 5 stars

So these two dorks decide to take a few months off work, go around the country in a big road trip, find all the publicly displayed typos, and correct as many as they can. While this indeed may be a fun thing to do, it’s not necessarily fun to read about. There’s very little justification for the publication of this book other than the authors recovering the cost of their trip. The “adventures” that they face, id est, getting various people to allow them to correct the typos, are really not much...more So these two dorks decide to take a few months off work, go around the country in a big road trip, find all the publicly displayed typos, and correct as many as they can. While this indeed may be a fun thing to do, it’s not necessarily fun to read about. There’s very little justification for the publication of this book other than the authors recovering the cost of their trip. The “adventures” that they face, id est, getting various people to allow them to correct the typos, are really not much of an adventure. The self-mocking style of writing feels juvenile, and quickly becomes flat and loses the intended humorous effects. The few social/political/historical commentaries that they indulge in are irrelevant and uncalled for.

As for the common misspellings – it’s beyond me why an (allegedly) educated native speaker of English can’t tell the difference between your and you’re, or there and their and they’re. A daily torment for me is when I walk past the Urban Outfitters in my ‘hood and see a sign that says: MENS. Those who shop at Urban Outfitters can’t be bothered to worry about, or even notice, a missing apostrophe. They’re too cool. And that seems to be the problem. People are too cool to care about spelling and grammar and punctuation. Correct anyone who obviously doesn’t know the difference between your and you’re, and watch the angry reaction. The general response is something like: “We know, but we don’t care. We’re not anal like you.” They react angrily because they realize that you’re basically accusing them of being semiliterate. Well, sorry dude/dudette, you do come off as semiliterate. Whenever I’m reading some post or comment on the Web and see that the writer has written your instead of you’re, I stop reading. They can’t possibly be saying anything worth reading.

I’m not claiming any scientific rigor here, but from my own experience in Persian and from talking with a few continental Europeans, it seems to me that this shocking level of disregard for the rules of writing is an affliction of English speakers, among whom Americans are the primary offenders. In other places you’re inviting ridicule and scorn if you misspell a simple and common word. You will be called illiterate. Not here. Kids don’t care because their parents and peers are not much better either. Apparently teachers don’t care either. The kids graduate from high school and college just fine. Their bosses and colleagues don’t bother them about it either. It’s all good.
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Jan 28, 2011 Sheila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cultural, current_issues, humor, non-fiction, memoir

I remember reading about "the great typo hunt" in the papers—which are, of course, a valuable source of lesser typos. I’m not particularly good at spotting errors in casual writing, or at spelling either, though I do know the rules and can usually apply them with a little help from my computer. So I reserve a special sympathy for those whose signage lacks accuracy. Also, I like rebelling against a teacher mother and a husband who’s very detail-oriented. “Play In Doors or Out” evokes quiet smiles...more I remember reading about "the great typo hunt" in the papers—which are, of course, a valuable source of lesser typos. I’m not particularly good at spotting errors in casual writing, or at spelling either, though I do know the rules and can usually apply them with a little help from my computer. So I reserve a special sympathy for those whose signage lacks accuracy. Also, I like rebelling against a teacher mother and a husband who’s very detail-oriented. “Play In Doors or Out” evokes quiet smiles from me and thoughts of what type of story a child playing in a door might one day produce, but it rarely causes pain. Still, with a book like The Great Typo Hunt those quiet smiles might be quickly overtaken by laughing out loud. Jeff Deck and his fellow typo-hunters certainly found a fun and intriguing collection, and tell the tale quite delightfully, with all the right accompaniment of hilarious images and self-doubt—do we need rules, who sets the rules, why are the rules how they are, and who can learn them anyway? (In fact, the book even ends with a pretty clear description of the rules—if only I’d been taught them as a kid, instead of picking them up from sitting in classes where my own kids were learning—bad habits are so hard to lose.)

Jeff Deck set off on a trip around the States to correct typos, using his natural skills to better the world of American signs, and communicating with a wealth of fascinating people on the way. Benjamin D. Herson accompanied him on part of his journey, most significantly on the part that garnered the greatest newspaper attention. And I found myself with vague memories of the story evolving into a court case at some point, instead of an “isn’t this interesting” segment at the end of the news. Meanwhile readers share the journey, enjoying the triumph of an occasional “Yes, please fix it,” the adrenalin rush of the stealth correction, and the agony of those mistakes yet left unmended, still tormenting passers-by.

The story is told with amusing candor in non-threatening tone with educational overtones, and lots to think about. It’s truly a delight, zany in a fine intellectual way, poignant in an oh-what-a-crazy-world-we-live-in kind of way, and thought-provoking too—a pleasingly descriptive trip across and around the States as well as an investigation into people, defensiveness, education and communication. When this book comes out in paperback I shall buy my own copy. Meanwhile I’ll thank a friend for lending her hardback to me, and I’ll thank my computer for spell-check and grammar-check.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from a friend who bought it from a store where one of the authors works. Perhaps I’ll meet him one day.(less)

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Jan 02, 2011 Marigold rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Thank you, Jessica, for a good read! Lots of fun, though maybe less funny than I thought it would be, & more serious. Jeff & Ben (AKA "TEAL" - Typo Eradication Advancement League) cross the US correcting typos on signs – with and without permission – and learn about themselves, friendship, the law, how to be on probation, love, the world, and everything at the same time! They learn – perhaps through some hindsight – that asking for permission is better. They learn that despite a few Mean...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Gabriel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting take on language and the future of it. Though part of it felt too much like name-dropping (is it really important that we know he's reading Red Mars at the end of the trip?) and fell into some issues that could have been cleared with stylistic editing, the rest of it was pointed and very good. It definitely gave me lots to think about and I will probably go back through this book later enjoying many of the characters and plots again.

Is this book for you? Well, the prem...more This is a very interesting take on language and the future of it. Though part of it felt too much like name-dropping (is it really important that we know he's reading Red Mars at the end of the trip?) and fell into some issues that could have been cleared with stylistic editing, the rest of it was pointed and very good. It definitely gave me lots to think about and I will probably go back through this book later enjoying many of the characters and plots again.

Is this book for you? Well, the premise is interesting. What happens when an editor goes on a road trip with the sole purpose of correcting the typos found on signs? What goes on through his (in this case) mind and how do the folks around him affect his thinking? What does this mean about America in general and our fascination with words?

Where the book succeeds is where it focuses on these questions and especially when it starts to go into the abstractions that alter the definitions of Jeff Deck's course of action. He starts with an open plan and refines it with very carefully considered reasoning. We hear about the history of editing and the English language (though it is only a snippet) and how this affects his own thinking about what he does.

Demonizing a lot of the folks, though, is what occurred throughout many of the passages, especially those which the typo could not be corrected. There are too many times, especially near the end, where Deck makes himself out to be the source of all that is good and right in the world of language - even as he denies it - and the hostile shopkeeper as the agent of evil, encouraging ignorance over and over. Whether this was done to enhance conflict or just subconsciously is beside the point. This good vs. evil is exactly what the book did not need. The moralizing of editing is what makes the, as he terms them, Grammar Hawks [all errors in speech need to be corrected because they aren't right] become Grammar Hawks in the first place. Sticking with a more sympathetic portrait of these people would have truly emphasized his middle-of-the-grammar-spectrum (the other end being the Grammar Hippies) that he wanted to promote.

In the end, there are many excellent points in this book that should be discussed and I definitely think it should be read in all high school English/Literature classes for the power of editing. (less)

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Aug 19, 2010 Efox rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book!

I picked it up at the airport for entertainment on a work trip and it was great! Deck, after a college reunion, decides that he needs to change the world. He takes the one tool he has, editing, and heads off to rid the world of typos. He's joined by co-author Herson, and later by other friends on his way across the country, making changes in signs wherever they can and blogging about it along the way.

In addition to being about their adventures, the authors dive into the stati...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

While attending the fifth reunion of his Dartmouth graduating class, mild-mannered Jeff Deck marvels at the feats of his super-achieving classmates and muses on what he can do to help change the world. A chance encounter with a “No Tresspassing” sign combines with a longstanding urge to drive across country, and TEAL (Typo Eradication Advancement League) is born. The Great Typo Hunt is the story of Deck and his intrepid band on their quest to improve communication, one typo at a time. Their crus...more While attending the fifth reunion of his Dartmouth graduating class, mild-mannered Jeff Deck marvels at the feats of his super-achieving classmates and muses on what he can do to help change the world. A chance encounter with a “No Tresspassing” sign combines with a longstanding urge to drive across country, and TEAL (Typo Eradication Advancement League) is born. The Great Typo Hunt is the story of Deck and his intrepid band on their quest to improve communication, one typo at a time. Their crusade is met with reactions ranging from welcome to indifference to outright hostility, and the heroes learn quickly when to persist and when to retreat, keeping score on their successes and failures along the way. At various times Jeff is joined by his girlfriend Jane or his buddy Josh, but his most stalwart companion is co-author Benjamin, and their discussions and differences of opinion provide much entertainment and food for thought. There is even a suspenseful climax.
When a book has blurbs from an eclectic group that includes linguist David Crystal, cognitive scientist Steve Pinker, and SF writer Joe Haldeman, the prospective reader can correctly infer that it will be unusual as well as top-notch. Not quite a travelogue, not quite a book about orthography and language, The Great Typo Hunt is full of fascinating trivia (How many people know that “ice cream” used to be ”iced cream”, a la “iced tea”?) and observations on people and language. Imagine Bill Bryson meets, uh, Bill Bryson.
Obviously, the readership will be highly skewed towards people who enjoy language, but the authors do not assume all the readers have degrees in English. For example, they describe how the OED uses quotations, a fact that MOST of their readership will know, but they do not dwell on such facts so long that the cognoscenti will get bored.
Deck and Herson have written a delightful book that will probably appeal to non-fans of language as well as to logophiles, but they have also managed an even more significant achievement---I looked hard, but I could not find a single typo. Bravo!
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Jul 22, 2011 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this book just by chance as I was walking through the library. When I started reading, I wondered if I would finish it because it was a bit slow and, really, why was it so important to them to make this journey? Even the author's girlfriend didn't understand why...at first. But I hung in there and actually enjoyed reading about the lessons they learned while trying to help people use the English language correctly. They learned a lot about how we interact with each other as human beings....more

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Aug 22, 2010 Jim Thomsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I was about Jeff Deck's age, I could relate to being to at loose ends with my career and my life. I wish I'd had the idea that Deck had — to take a trip around the United States finding and correcting typos in public signage, and to blog about it along the way in hopes of drawing attention to the cause. (I had the chops, churlishness and willingness, but I spent a year working in Yellowstone instead.)

Deck's idea was a bit of an ill-defined monkeyshine at the time, with some predictably ill...more When I was about Jeff Deck's age, I could relate to being to at loose ends with my career and my life. I wish I'd had the idea that Deck had — to take a trip around the United States finding and correcting typos in public signage, and to blog about it along the way in hopes of drawing attention to the cause. (I had the chops, churlishness and willingness, but I spent a year working in Yellowstone instead.)

Deck's idea was a bit of an ill-defined monkeyshine at the time, with some predictably ill-advised results. But as the miles rolled behind them, it evolved in ways he couldn't possibly foresee into the mature and relevant language debate that fueled "The Great Typo Hunt," his book with road-buddy, muse and devil's advocate, Benjamin Herson.

That latter quality is what elevates the book above a road-buddy tale along snark-infested waters. Both are off-the-charts smart: Deck is a bit of a wiseass, with a obnoxiously showoffy vocabulary (he reminds me of me, which is bad). Herson is the more direct, and even occasionally rude, member of the duo. But he's also an invaluable counterweight to the moments when Deck is caught drifting off thematic course.

But the two quickly embrace the spirit of the quest as their encounters with typo-makers and subsequent long road-hours give them ample time to reflect on the changing nature of language and how people relate to both language and change. They realize that for all the objective errors they identify, other noncomformities they encounter arise out of honest but differing interpretations of the same shared language. As we all come to realize, there's really a lot that is neither strictly "right" or "wrong" when it comes to differences of view on language. (Although many of the book's best passages come from typo-makers who try to defend the indefensible out of nothing more than sheer knee-jerk defensiveness. As one woman memorably says: "I would rather have a sign spelled incorrectly than a tacky-looking sign." Yikes. That's beyond chutzpah and somewhere closer to chutzpidity.)

Speaking of crossing the chutzpah/chutzpidity divide, it should be noted that the episode that brought Deck and Herson equal parts fame and infamy involved the defacing of a historic National Park Service sign at the Grand Canyon. The pair were prosecuted and restitution was made. But the much-publicized incident — a stupid act by any measure — shouldn't leave readers with the idea that Deck and Herson didn't learn anything from it. It may help to learn that the duo gave up "stealth corrections" long before they learned they were wanted men. By that time, they had fully embraced the idea of being aboveboard in their dealings — not just because it was the right thing to do, but because they wanted to use each encounter with a typo-maker as a mutually educational moment.)

It's their willingness to learn, and their earnestness in wanting to share what they learn, that lifts this lark into something of lasting value. By the time the 2 1/2-month adventure ends, one senses that they are changed men, and wiser and more mature for their openness to change. By book's end, they decide to take their mission to a second level, planning a second nationwide road trip around the desire to educate using the Direct Instruction method.

The lesson: One need be neither a staunch prescriptivist (there is one standard, it is not to be challenged, and it rarely acknowledges change) or a finger-to-the-wind descriptivist (languages changes all the time, man, and we shouldn't fight it and just let it be what it wants to be) when it comes to language. There is a balance between order and evolution, and the end of "The Great Typo Hunt" shows our intrepid adventurers closing in on it. All in the course of an entertaining read, it should be said.

The journey in "The Great Typo Hunt" is one that, vicariously taken, leaves us just as enriched and enlightened. And likely with more than an eagle eye for typos in the posters, store signs and restaurant menus we come across in our daily journeys. Which is never a bad thing ... as long as you ask permission before busting out your own "elixir of correction."

All this is the long way of saying that "The Great Typo Hunt," while a bit windy at times, is well worth the time of anybody with love for and curiosity about, the wonderful, horrible, delightful, maddening English language.

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Aug 31, 2010 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book--the premise is right up my alley: a guy notices typos all over the place and decides to take a road trip to correct what he sees around the country. Should be funny, right? Well, there is humor here, but it mostly reads like an excuse for a shy, editor-type to share his self-righteous views about politics, education, and the rules of English. Oh, and he likes to show you that he knows big words. You wouldn't think that a book about typo-hunting could include st...more

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May 02, 2011 Kiri rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a genuinely engaging, entertaining tale of a man's quest to improve the world in the way he knew best: correcting typos. It is a chronicle of entertaining errors, with the full gamut of responses to correction efforts: from people who reacted defensively to those who welcomed the chance for improvement. If you're at all interested in editing, irritated by apostrophe abuse, or cringe when confronted with subject-verb disagreements, you'll probably vicariously enjoy Jeff's adventures.

That...more

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May 19, 2013 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Premise = good. Writing style = fun and engaging. But overall, I was not overly impressed by the purpose of Jeff Deck's road trip. He does a lot of explaining and reflecting on the purpose, but I guess that the make it/break it thing about the point of his trip (and the point of the book) is whether or not you think it's okay to walk up to random business owners and ask them to correct their typos-- whether you think it sometimes crosses the line between nerdy zeal and meddling. Especially when...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Traci rated it 5 of 5 stars

As someone who now has a small gig proofreading for a small publisher, I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. If you are a self-proclaimed "grammar nazi," then this book is for you. If you've ever looked at a sign in public and shaken your head at a horrible misspelling, this book is for you. If you're one of those people that know the difference between its/it's, your/you're, to/too/two, etc, this book is for you.

Besides all the great typos Deck found (and trust me, there are some real d...more As someone who now has a small gig proofreading for a small publisher, I cannot tell you how much I loved this book. If you are a self-proclaimed "grammar nazi," then this book is for you. If you've ever looked at a sign in public and shaken your head at a horrible misspelling, this book is for you. If you're one of those people that know the difference between its/it's, your/you're, to/too/two, etc, this book is for you.

Besides all the great typos Deck found (and trust me, there are some real doozies in here) and the fun travel adventures (who hasn't had some sort of disaster happen on a road trip?), there's quite a bit of philosophy here, too. For example, after the blog has been up and running for a little while, Deck and Benjamin land in Galveston, where they correct "Davy Jones Locker" with an apostrophe and an additional "s": "Davy Jones's Locker". No sooner do they post the pics of their success than the proverbial grammar poo hits the fan. Several comments show up blasting the pair for the additional "s", claiming that it's not necessary according to AP style, and that "everyone" knows that. Which made our heroes discuss which style, exactly, they were using when performing their feats of grammatical daring. (While Deck has done some AP-type editing, he prefers to refer back to his Chicago Manual of Style days.) As Deck himself points out, which style guideline you follow depends on what you do for a living: journalists refer to the AP Style Guide (obviously preferred by readers of his blog, too), while scholars would flip through an MLA Handbook. But if you're a medical writer, you're going to pull out your trustworthy APA Guide. And finally, if you're an author (fiction and non-fiction both), you're going to be intimately familiar with the tome that is The Chicago Manual of Style.

In the end, Deck puts it quite nicely. To all those that are concerned about the "right" or "wrong" way to correct an error, he says this: "The point is that any correction, regardless of the stylebook, is better than leaving the thing wrong."

It was also very interesting to read about people's reactions to the errors. At first, TEAL attempts a lot of "stealth" corrections, trying to leave the written world a better place but without taking any credit for it. Then Deck and his partners (especially Benjamin) start asking to change the errors, sometimes with great results, but more often finding attitude. Several retail-type employees simply refer to the fact that "they" didn't make the signs, and "they" don't have the authority to do anything about it. Other retail jockeys have an apathetic attitude of "whatever" - so the corrections happen. The authors also discovered that while people understood that there were errors in the signage, they were often loathe to have it "corrected" for fear it would look...well, "tacky" is a good word to use here, I think. Which really surprised our grammar sticklers, as they thought the tackier sign would be the one that was misspelled. To each his own, I suppose. But it did make for good conversations about how people take criticism, any criticism, even if it's not really directed at them.

As I said in the beginning of this review, I loved this book. Highly recommended to all. And people - let's watch the grammar out there! (less)

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“The world needed changing - that I knew. Global warming threatened to give us all a lethal tan; war and poverty decimated whole nations; crops worldwide were shriveling; even our brethren beasts menaced us with their monkey pox and bird flu and mad cow disease.” — 2 people liked it

“After graduating, I'd moved to the Washington D.C. area to see what I could do with the skills I'd picked up from a creative writing degree. The chief export of the nation's capital is, of course, paper work, so I reckoned I could land some kind of writing or editing position at one of the many nonprofits and associations in the area.” — 2 people liked it

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