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Books like The meaning of everything
An engaging, anecdote-rich journey through the monumental, decades-long obsession required to catalog the English language. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with The meaning of everything.
- intellectual
- curious
- academic
- reflective
- 01
The Professor and the Madman CD
Simon Winchester · 2005
An atmospheric dive into the Victorian obsession with language and the tragic, hidden genius that helped define it.
- 02
Word by word
Kory Stamper
A joyful, irreverent romp through the obsessive and surprisingly messy world of dictionary-making.
- 03
A dictionary of the English language
Samuel Johnson · 1819
An opinionated, deeply literary stroll through the eccentricities of the English language, guided by a brilliantly curmudgeonly scholar.
- 04
The Unfolding of Language
Guy Deutscher
A fascinating archaeological dig into the words we use every day, revealing the hidden forces of destruction and creation that shape human communication.
- 05
How Language Works
David Crystal
A delightful, eye-opening tour through the invisible architecture of the words we use every day.
- 06
The Mother Tongue
Bill Bryson
A joyful, trivia-packed romp through the chaotic and accidental history of the words we use every day.
- 07
Growth and structure of the English language
Otto Jespersen
A scholarly yet deeply affectionate journey through the messy, fascinating evolution of the words we speak.
- 08
Life of Samuel Johnson
James Boswell
Pull up a chair in a bustling 18th-century London tavern and listen to the greatest conversationalist of the age hold court.
- 09
The elements of eloquence
Mark Forsyth
A joyful, witty romp through the hidden formulas that make great sentences sing.
- 10
Through the language glass
Guy Deutscher
A witty, mind-bending tour through the hidden ways our mother tongues sculpt our perception of reality.
- 11
The Sense of Style
Steven Pinker
A cognitive masterclass that transforms the frustrating puzzle of writing into a clear, solvable science.
- 12
An edible history of humanity
Tom Standage · 2009
A sweeping, accessible journey that transforms the contents of your pantry into a map of human civilization.
