The Illustrated Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

Mark Forsyth’s distinctive style of writing is both clever and incredibly amusing. I could not put the book down. Full of interesting facts, it is a book to share amongst friends. Very happy I purchased. The only slight criticism (and it is very minor) there are odd pages that are not as clear to read unless in daylight as it is against a black background. You’ll learn all about black…

I liked the random connections that threaded through the book. Well written and entertaining.Some of the small fonts on footnotes and use of colours can be a little hard on the eye - especially if reading with a bedside lamp.

An absolute rollercoaster ride through the intricacies of language. I read it in two sittings, fascinated by the etymological connections.

the content is great however the black pages and pages with pale writing make some of it hard to read

Lots of books about where words and phrases come from are disappointing and those that are informative are usually dry academic dictionary types. Mark Forsyth brings the words to life with beautifully told stories of their origins… and the illustrated edition is a object of beauty as well as a joyous read.

the grandmother approves

This is a fascinating, entertaining book that never stops surprising you. One to pick up for a while and put down, I read a couple of chapters a day & thoroughly enjoy them. Recommended.

Really funny book about language and words and how words originate and their meaning really fascinating

If you read "built-in bookmark" and were excited for yourself or on behalf of someone else, you're probably the demographic for this book.I originally got this as an audiobook but even though I enjoyed it, I realized I would retain it better if I read it. I almost got the regular version but I am so glad I sprung for the illustrated version. The illustrations are so fun. A nice lithograph style and I love the placement throughout the book and within the text.Full disclosure, it is a very efficient tangent into the etymology of words that sort of daisy chains into the next topic. It is akin to going down an etymological rabbit hole but in a very clever and cheeky way. I don't know that this book is for everyone but I think if you like it, you'll love it.PLUS A BUILT-IN BOOKMARK! It is trivial but I found it to be so endearing.

Über den Inhalt kann ich nichts sagen, da die technische Qualität dieses E-Books im Vergleich zu allen, die ich bisher gekauft habe, miserabel ist. Die Schrift ist unscharf, kann nicht vergrössert werden. Und all die anderen Features, welche E-Books normalerweise haben funktionieren nicht. Man hat den Eindruck, es sei als pdf gescannt worden.Was soll das?

Lovely book, far from exhaustive in its length it does give every interesting histories of lots of words. I have to recommend this, not only for its excellent content but it makes a very nice gift as a presentable hardback book in its own right.