Angling in the English Stream: 100 Ordinary English Words: Caught, Filleted, and Served Up in Tasty Little Essays

Rating:
Summary: English
Review: As a Christian Reformed Dutchman from Minnesota, I must admit that I may be a bit biased in reviewing a book written by a Christian Reformed Dutchman from Minnesota. However, Schelhaas's page-long discussions of 100 common (like, grass, yahoo) and uncommon (alas, fete, maudlin, shrove, sostenuto) words are informative, humorous, and thought-provoking. Although his target audience is clearly people like himself, (his tone is almost like a Christian devotion book at times) the words and their histories are interesting to anyone who speaks English - if you're reading this, you'd like the book. My only carp is that some phrases and formats are repetitive and lose power quickly. However, the essays were written for the radio, to be presented one at a time, and, I think, are meant to be read one or two at a time as well. Browse through it, find a word that interests you, and be amazed at this incredible language we call our own.