A Way With Words: Navigating the Marvelous Maze of the English Language

The essence of the book is based on excerpts from discussions in an online forum on words and usage in the English language, which was convened by the author.

Topics range from the mundane to the highly academic, and have often spawned lively debates particularly around controversial usage, folk etymology, and the odd syntax that seemingly has no logical basis. The highlight of this experience was the realization of just how rich English is and how replete it is with subtle nuances and depth of meaning. The contributions came from members around the world who had given their abundant knowledge, wit, and wisdom over the seven years of the forum. The list was called Wordplay-L, and the idea of synthesizing the content into a book with literary themes was there right from the start.

The book reads more like proceedings of a virtual meeting. The reader is led into each theme room to listen in to conversations raw and unfiltered. The author does little more than present the speakers and lets the reader get exposed to all facets of the debates. Thus, he/she is left to form their own opinions and draw their own conclusions.

The founding of this forum was inspired by earlier works on the English language such as those by Richard Lederer, William Safire, or Steven Pinker. The membership comprised varied backgrounds, but primarily teachers, copy editors, reviewers, columnists, programmers, and librarians. This mix made for very informative debates, laced with wit, humor, and entertaining exchanges.