Word by Word/Stamper - 3 stars

[Anita]

You really, really need to love the English language to truly appreciate this book. Stamper works as a lexicographer for a dictionary, and she shares an in depth, insider look at her job. She happens to be very witty which really helps this book a lot, but to be honest, she goes into a level of depth on some topics that was just way more detail than I really wanted or needed. Some sections were fascinating . . .like the one about addressing gay marriage in the dictionary. Others, where she discusses the difficulties associated with defining more mundane words, just acted as a sleeping pill for me.

All in all, if you love words, you may love this book, and I'd recommend it. I was happy I read it even though I felt like I had to force myself through roughly a third of it.

[Jason]

This sound really interesting. I read American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds and I enjoyed it. Thank-you, I had never added this to my goodreads list.

[Anita]

Jason wrote: "This sound really interesting. I read American Bee: The National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds and I enjoyed it. Thank-you, I had never added this to my goodreads list."

It's funny because I saw this book and suggested it to my English major friend, and she LOVED it so much. I think it suffered from my overly high expectations. I hope you enjoy it!