Bill Bryson
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States (1994)
Author: Bill Bryson
Genre: Nonfiction (History/Linguistics)
Book Summary:
Bryson, best known for his travelogues, here traces the evolution of the English language in the United States. Using innumerable humorous anecdotes and first person accounts, Bryson covers everything from Puritan naming-practices to modern lingual political correctness. Along the way he explains about how Chicago was once spelled Ztschaggo and why Yankee Doodle's hat was called "macaroni," among many other linguistic curiosities.
Geographical Setting: United States
Time Period: 1600s-1990s
Appeal Characteristics:
Bryson approaches an apparently dry topic (the history of language usage) and infuses his work with incredible wit and irreverence. He makes learning about language and history fun with witty anecdotes and lively prose. This book is as much a cultural history of the United States as it is about language; it includes a wide variety of historical information that is not well known, which should appeal to history buffs as well as language aficionados. Bryson particularly enjoys debunking popular American myths, going after everything from Patrick Henry's supposed statement of "give me liberty or give me death" to the purported invention of the ice cream cone at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Read-alikes: Readers who enjoyed Made in America for its humor and linguistics subject should also enjoy Bryson's The Mother Tongue, which explores the origins of the English language. Readers looking for a humorous look at modern language usage should try Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss. Readers looking for a humorous look at an unexplored area of American history should try Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. Readers who enjoy debunking historical myths should try Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History by Richard Shenkman. Readers looking for a cultural history of the United States that includes discussion on the influence of the English language on American culture should try Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fischer.
Red Flags: Profanity and mild sexual references
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