Title: wonderful story
Product review: Until I read this book, I always thought the OED was just another dictionary. How wrong I was! This book begins with a short history of the english language, then proceeds to discuss why the OED was undertaken, and all the players involved. I've come to think of James Murray, the main editor of the OED, as a hero. The OED is a complete listing of ALL the words ever recorded in the english language, and it took 71 years to complete. The Meaning of Everything was a great introduction into this endeavor and left me wanting to know more.One problem with the book is that it, rightly so, discusses James Murray's involvment at length, however, I feel that it short-changed the editors who took over after Murray. This book is really about Murray and the OED, not the entire project. I wanted to know much more about Craigie and Onions -- their personal history, triumphs, and defeats -- as editors.
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