{"product_id":"wordwatching-field-notes-from-an-amateur-philologist-by-julian-burnside-9781921640179","title":"Wordwatching: Field Notes From an Amateur Philologist","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe live in a torrent of words—from radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the internet. But, as Julian Burnside reminds us here, words are a source both of pleasure and power, and can be deployed for good or for ill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSome of these essays explore curiosities in odd corners of the language simply to remind us of the extraordinary richness of the English language. Other pieces use small matters of language to illustrate larger processes of cultural borrowing and change. Burnside's musings remind us that we should not be alarmed at the instability of the language; rather, we should see its wanton borrowings as a source of strength and vitality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWordwatching\u003c\/em\u003e also reminds us of the need to be aware of the misuse of language in the service of sinister purposes—whether political, ideological, social, or personal. An ear well-tuned to the nuances of vocabulary inoculates the hearer against this epidemic of deception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCiting everyone from the ancient Greeks to Samuel Johnson, George Orwell, Ned Kelly, George W. Bush, and John Howard, \u003cem\u003eWordwatching\u003c\/em\u003e is a fascinating demonstration of the power and the pleasure of the English language.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46355289800940,"sku":"9781921640179","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/4812913482872.jpg?v=1744305156","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/products\/wordwatching-field-notes-from-an-amateur-philologist-by-julian-burnside-9781921640179","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}