Reading the OED (?!)

Posted by Jack on 09.04.2008 at 11:07 am

We all have things that we do to pass the time or wind down after work.  Some of us play sports or workout, others watch TV and others read.  Ammon Shea does something that would test the mental fortitude of any of those practices: reading the OED.

For those of you not in the know, the OED (or Oxford English Dictionary) is the bible for our language.  Have a question about a word?  Check the dictionary.  Having an argument with a Ph.D or need an etymology?  Check the OED.

Personally, I only have used it online, but apparently for those of you who are stonger than I, there is a print version.  To give you an idea of how intense this really is, the subtitle of the book is “One Man, One Year, 21,730 pages.”  YIKES!  This task sounds David Blaine-esque, but I like it.

Haven’t read it but sounds by all accounts to be really interesting/funny as it doesn’t pick apart the words so much as the words and task pick apart the author.  The OED I’m sure is fascinating, but I’ll stick to light reading, CSI or ping pong…

Have your say » | Tagged Book Reviews, book reviews, OED