Time was, many thousands of years ago, when Hebrew, in its most ancient form, did not have two or three hundred words. But since that long, long ago time, Hebrew has grown mightily, to become one of the great modern languages of the world. The story of its growth from a mere handful of words to its present rich estate is colorful and dramatic. It has never been told before. In this book, the story of the growth of the Hebrew language is written with clarity. charm and distinction.
I personally expected more historical background about the genesis of the language, but the extended explanations about the formation of various words based on the 3-letter root were also interesting. At the end of each chapter there is a list of questions that sum-up the learning therefore it is a recommended reading for the students of Hebrew language.
Mr. Horowitz writes in a delightfully informal, personal style that is easy and entertaining to read. This is not a book for learning Hebrew, but it will definitely help put the modern language into a larger context.
Overall I liked this book. The content was interesting. I felt as though some things could have been more explained though, and at times the author took an obnoxious tone.