Chapter-a-week, part one

First of all, I need to admit to an inside joke. I think it immensely funny that I have chosen to review a book that is a collection of essays by a guy who originally aired said essays on a network famous for its book reviews. So in a way, I am now reviewing NPR, or at least a small slice of it. Were I more technically adept, I would do something truly nerdly and post these as podcasts each week.

Now then: the book I have chosen is the Way We Talk Now, Commentaries on Language and Culture, by Geoffrey Nunberg.(2001, Houghton-Mifflin, New York NY) They were originally featured on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air." I chose it for two reasons: one, I wanted a novel approach to the subject, one which was divided into easily reviewable chapters which would last me the remaining weeks of the semester and provide me with enough variety as to not bore myself or my two (or is it three now?) loyal readers; two, of the selections available at Barnes and Nobles, it was the one which both met my criteria and was the cheapest. [Remember that value is not measured in price -- Dickens was paid by the word, but should he have been? Tale of Two Cities is a much better read on the third or fourth go-round when you know what to skip.]

This week, I am just going to touch on the preface. (You should always, by the way, read the preface of any book. Most papers I wrote about books were better for my taking the time to read the preface. ) In his preface, Nunberg sets the tone for how you should read and think about his essays. He says:

"...it is sometimes more interesting to sneak up on words rather than tackle them head-on. That's the way liguists like to work: we fasten on some inconspicuous detail of usage and worry it until a crack opens and we can glimpse the hurly-burly going on outside."

He goes on to explain his joy in the work:

"[finding the] compelling minutiae [is like] happening on a Goya at a garage sale."

It is with this spirit that I will continue my reviewing next week with "A Few of My Favorite Words."