The Miracle of Language (Paperback)

by Richard Lederer (Author) "Thanks to Anne Lederer, my daughter, for making "How Do We Know What We Know?..." (more)
Key Phrases: William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Emily Dickinson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this collection of entertaining and enlightening essays, Lederer ( Anguished English ) celebrates language as "incomparably the finest of our achievements" and passes along some eloquent testimony on the emancipating power of language in the lives of Helen Keller, Richard Wright, Malcolm X, Anne Frank. Also appraised are the contributions of other writers who, "sculpting significance from the air, have changed the world by changing the word." The first of these is William Shakespeare, whom Lederer identifies as the most prolific word-maker who ever lived (the Bard, it turns out, invented at least 10% of his vocabulary). Next is Samuel Johnson who, with his breakthrough dictionary, captured the majesty of English and gave it a dignity long overdue. Others include Ambrose Bierce, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot, George Orwell. A delightful and edifying collection. BOMC and QPB alternates.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
YA--This latest collection by the noted verbalist sparkles like a gem. It is finely polished, well crafted, and certain to de light. Readers are invited to ponder if our mother tongue is indeed prejudiced. The misuse of redundant words and how new words are born are also ex plored. On a deeper level, beyond the wit and bouyancy, Lederer shows that words are not just used to engage but also to instruct. This collection of essays is a treasure and should be cherished by all who open it.
-Mary I. Quinn, Fair fax County Public Library, George Ma son Regional, Annandale, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; Revised edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671028111
• ISBN-13: 978-0671028114
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #234,001 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the author's best book!, January 29, 2001

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

And I happen to know this book is the "favorite child" of this much-published author. I read it with just as much, if not more pleasure than Anguished English and Get Thee to a Punnery, some of Richard's more famous works. Don't expect the usual mad romp through the English language; this book is more literary than light literature.

If you want to improve your writing, you will profit by reading the chapter on the beauty of using short words. The examples of student writings that employ only single syllable words are dazzling.

If you teach English, you might enjoy using some of the student writing examples in your classes to inspire your own students. In fact if you are an English teacher or just a lover of the English language, I don't see how you can be without this book. It is a treasure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deepen Your Appreciation of English, September 6, 2003

By	F. Hamilton "[e-mail]" (St. Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Although Richard Lederer may be best known for his delightful word play, he is also an eminent authority on English. In _The Miracle of Language_ he writes somewhat more seriously about this language that he loves, inspiring in us a deeper appreciation of our system of communication that we often take for granted.

The chapter titled "In Praise of English" makes us grateful that ours is a language that puts so many words at our disposal -- remarkable for their sheer number as well as for their variety. Because English has so freely adopted words from other languages, we often have many choices about how we will express an idea -- whether we will use short words derived from Anglo-Saxon, for example, or more luxurious words derived from French.

Although Lederer's subject matter is serious, his style never becomes ponderous. His short chapters and lively prose keep the reader engaged. And occasionally he cannot resist playing, as in the chapter titled "The Case for Short Words," where for four paragraphs he restricts himself to one-syllable words.

Of special interest are the chapters about literary giants -- William Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot, and George Orwell -- and the contributions they have made not only to our literature but also to our language. For example, Shakespeare is credited with the first use of over 1,700 words, nearly eight percent of the different words that he used in his writing. In addition, his plays include many phrases that have become titles of novels and many others that have been repeated so often that they have become clichés.

Lederer also includes many inspiring quotations about English and entries from the ground-breaking dictionaries of Samuel Johnson and Ambrose Bierce. (Can you imagine undertaking the formidable task of writing the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language?)

Lederer champions letter writing, poetry writing, libraries, reading, the effective use of English. Particularly poignant is the example of mistranslation of one word that led to the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Lederer fondly portrays English as a thriving, evolving entity. By instilling appreciation for the legacy we have received, he inspires us to safeguard its future.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seriocomic author wins again, February 12, 2002

By	Edith Schwager (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This serious book about our language,English, the lingua franca of the world, afforded me more laughs than many a so-called comic book. Lederer is truly a master of English, a magister and advocate. I have several other books by him, and have enjoyed each one tremendously. I always have great trouble setting The Miracle of Language down once I open it. I'm always tempted to go through it once more in one sitting. As a writer, editor, and teacher, I refer to it constantly. Now, if only I knew how to get in touch with Lederer ---