The Secret Lives of Words
by West, Paul
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
West Brattleboro, Vermont, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
We are often unaware of the unique and intriguing stories of the words we love. Thousands of our words have been so twisted, tangled, misused, and muddled over the centuries that their original meaning has been obscured. You'll be surprised to learn that table napkins were once made of and referred to as asbestos, that atom means uncuttable, that a cloud was once a hill, and that a companion is one who eats bread with you. Compiled over the years in his handwritten notebooks, acclaimed prose stylist Paul West offers us an album of treasures. The Secret Lives of Words is an "Antiques Road Show" of language, in which West chronicles the centuries-long travels of words across continents and through cultures. For word enthusiasts, speakers, writers, thinkers, and all readers, this volume recounting the intimate ancestry of language will enrich our understanding of and appreciation for the words we use every day.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Longhouse, Publishers and Booksellers (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 53793
- Title
- The Secret Lives of Words
- Author
- West, Paul
- Book Condition
- Used
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Harcourt, 2000
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literary History;
Terms of Sale
Longhouse, Publishers and Booksellers
About the Seller
Longhouse, Publishers and Booksellers
About Longhouse, Publishers and Booksellers
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Crisp
- A term often used to indicate a book's new-like condition. Indicates that the hinges are not loosened. A book described as crisp...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Fore Edge
- The portion of a book that is opposite the spine. That part of a book which faces the wall when shelved in a traditional...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...