The Word Detective

The Word Detective is the memoir of former editor of the Oxford English Dictionary John Simpson and it is a fascinating read.  Simpson began working for the OED in 1976 and remained with them until 2013.  During his career he watched the OED move from being a moribund set of books to being a dynamic computer database.  The book describes this transition and explores the set of bells and whistles added to the field of language research by computer searchable text.  

While the book includes bits of Simpson’s personal life the primary focus is his work life.  It provides a picture of what a dictionary editor does and makes periodic aside investigations of individual English words.  Simpson loved his job and loves the English language and the book celebrates both.  Recommended for lovers of words.