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Fun read
“If you have read Bryson before--this is more of the same, and you'll love it; if not, be warned, this guy could make a snake laugh; you'll find yourself annoying family and even strangers, reading them hilarious paragraphs. Worse, you may find yourself imitating his style, making snarky comments that get you in trouble. A sample: Bill seated himself in a restaurant, despite a sign saying, "Wait to be seated." When the waitress commented sourly, "Well, I see you seated yourself," he replied brightly, "Yes! And I dressed myself too!" You can see what hot water that could get you into...
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-10-12.
But it's more fun than most of life, read him and be refreshed.” -
Bryson ' s Made in America is delicious fare.
“Bryson continues his insightful,informative and amusing ways with Made in America. In this great book he answers many questions regarding American English usage and how so many idioms and expressions came into everyday usage. Anyone who uses words (even if only in everyday conversation) will enjoy his clever and interesting presentation.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-07-10.
Massapequa Dick ” -
Pleasant, but not as much as it could have been
“Most of the 3- and 2- star reviews cover what I would say, in general. This book really doesn't give that much etymological information as opposed to "debunking" what Mr. Bryson calls myths. As one other reviewer noted, he relies rather heavily on Howard Zinn; so, if you agree with Zinn's People's History, you will enjoy this book more than one that doesn't subscribe to that particular viewpoint. Even though there is much humor to be enjoyed, it is obvious that the author does not care for religion or religious people at all. This leads to many simple errors such as conflating the Puritans and the Pilgrims over and over again. Not to mention that he equates those that can't read a box of cornflakes with those that prefer the Bible to unscientific philosophical materialism. His leanings are transparent only after you get into the book. If you are expecting some type of objective look at the uniqueness of American English, I believe that you will be disappointed. To his credit, he does recognize the dangers of the PC movement. I wonder how he feels today (2009), 15 years after he wrote that, to see the harm that has come from it.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-05-08. -
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Interesting Read on History of American English
“well-researched (no surprise from Bill Bryson), intelligent, interesting and sometimes funny, this is a nice light read for anyone interested in linguistics, Americanisms, food history and several other topics (also chapters on sex, movies, travel, politics etc)...a funny little book on the lighter side of American history”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-01-02. -
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Read it!
“I teach English at the college level and have just had this book approved to teach next semester. I happened to pick it up at Borders because I liked A Walk in the Woods so much, and wow! The chonological arrangement of the chapters makes it easy to follow, and I appreciate all the research he must've done. He really chose words that the everyday citizen can relate to, but also peppered the text with words even I had to look up--so I think it will appeal to many levels. I decided to use it in my English class because my students have a hard time understanding that WE create the language and its rules, not some nerdy grammarians in a think tank somewhere. Also, it is an interesting trip through our history showing how we define ourselves through language. Looking forward to reading it over and over again to prepare for next semester.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2008-12-12.
