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Books on Words - Non Fiction

A list of 50 non-fiction books on the art that is words, how they evolve, are constructed, and translated.
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The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language (Melvyn Bragg)
The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language
1
Melvyn Bragg
Because Internet (Gretchen McCulloch)
Because Internet
2
Gretchen McCulloch
Books: A Living History (Martyn Lyons)
Books: A Living History
3
Martyn Lyons
The Cabinet of Calm: Soothing Words for Troubled Times (Paul Anthony Jones)
The Cabinet of Calm: Soothing Words for Troubled Times
4
Paul Anthony Jones
Cultish (Amanda Montell)
Cultish
5
Amanda Montell
The Devil's Details
The Devil's Details
6
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (Vicki Myron)
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
7
Vicki Myron
Don't Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth About Language (David Shariatmadari)
Don't Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth About Language
8
David Shariatmadari
Empires of the Word (Nicholas Ostler)
Empires of the Word
9
Nicholas Ostler
The Etymologicon (Mark Forsyth)
The Etymologicon
10
Mark Forsyth
Fifty Sounds (Polly Barton)
Fifty Sounds
11
Polly Barton
A Gentle Madness (Nicholas Basbanes)
A Gentle Madness
12
Nicholas Basbanes
Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language (Robin Dunbar)
Grooming, Gossip, and the Evolution of Language
13
Robin Dunbar
Holy Sh*T: A Brief History of Swearing (Melissa Mohr)
Holy Sh*T: A Brief History of Swearing
14
Melissa Mohr
The Horologicon (Mark Forsyth)
The Horologicon
15
Mark Forsyth
In the Land of Invented Languages (Arika Okrent)
In the Land of Invented Languages
16
Arika Okrent
Is That a Fish in Your Ear? (David Bellos)
Is That a Fish in Your Ear?
17
David Bellos
Just My Type (Simon Garfield)
Just My Type
18
Simon Garfield
The Language Instinct (Steven Pinker)
The Language Instinct
19
Steven Pinker
The Library: A World History (James W.P. Campbell)
The Library: A World History
20
James W.P. Campbell
Like Literally Dude (Valerie Fridland)
Like Literally Dude
21
Valerie Fridland
Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe (Gaston Dorren)
Lingo: A Language Spotter's Guide to Europe
22
Gaston Dorren
Mother Tongue (Jenni Nuttall)
Mother Tongue
23
Jenni Nuttall
Mother Tongue (Bill Bryson)
Mother Tongue
24
Bill Bryson
Nine Nasty Words (John McWhorter)
Nine Nasty Words
25
John McWhorter
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue (John McWhorter)
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
26
John McWhorter
A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order (Judith Flanders)
A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order
27
Judith Flanders
The Power of Babel (John McWhorter)
The Power of Babel
28
John McWhorter
Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories From Book History (J.P. Romney)
Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories From Book History
29
J.P. Romney
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English... (Simon Winchester)
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English...
30
Simon Winchester
The Pun Also Rises (John Pollack)
The Pun Also Rises
31
John Pollack
Script and Scribble (Kitty Burns Florey)
Script and Scribble
32
Kitty Burns Florey
The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English (Henry Hitchings)
The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English
33
Henry Hitchings
Semicolon (Cecilia Watson)
Semicolon
34
Cecilia Watson
Shady Characters (Keith Houston)
Shady Characters
35
Keith Houston
Sin and Syntax (Constance Hale)
Sin and Syntax
36
Constance Hale
The Story of English (Robert McCrum/Wm. Cran/Robert Macneil)
The Story of English
37
Robert McCrum/Wm. Cran/Robert Macneil
The Story of English in 100 Words (David Crystal)
The Story of English in 100 Words
38
David Crystal
Swearing Is Good for You (Emma Byrne)
Swearing Is Good for You
39
Emma Byrne
Through the Language Glass (Guy Deutscher)
Through the Language Glass
40
Guy Deutscher
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