Word Fugitives: In Pursuit of Wanted Words
Her approach to language is a beguiling mix of charm and research. (USA Today)Wallraff picks her way through language thickets with a sure step and a generous attitude. (Boston Globe)&#8220;Barbara Wallraff proves herself to be a wise, witty, and marvelously entertaining guide through the jungle of English usage.&#8221; (Francine Prose, author of A Changed Man and Blue Angel)&#8220;There is a discovery and a smile on every page.&#8221; (James Fallows, National Magazine Award-winning correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly)&#8220;No fugitive word, however crafty or devious, can escape the clutches of that peerless lexical sleuth Barbara Wallraff.&#8221; (Patricia T. O'Conner, author of Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English)&#8220;This book should carry a warning sign...it contains several hundred seriously twisted puns.&#8221; (Charles C. Mann, author of 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus)&#8220;Read it alone. It might be embarassing to chortle so much in public.&#8221; (Merl Reagle, Sunday Crossword Puzzle Creator, The Los Angeles Times)&#8220;A delightful book on an entertaining and fascinating topic: how we coin words.&#8221; (Steven Pinker, Professor, Harvard University, and author of The Language Instinct, Words and Rules, and How the Mind Works.)&#8220;...achieved with as much wit and tact as earnestness and wisdom (Booklist)...an up-to-date guide to usage that can be both pleasurably browsed and quickly consulted... (Kirkus Reviews)