Alphabetical: how every letter tells a story
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published:
Berkeley, California : Pgw, 2015., Counterpoint, 2015.
Format:
Book
Physical Desc:
xv, 431 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status:
Description

"How on Earth did we fix upon our twenty-six letters, what do they really mean, and how did we come to write them down in the first place? Michael Rosen takes you on an unforgettable adventure through the history of the alphabet in twenty-six vivid chapters, fizzing with personal anecdotes and fascinating facts. Starting with the mysterious Phoenicians and how sounds first came to be written down, he races on to show how nonsense poems work, pins down the strange story of OK, traces our five lost lettersand tackles the tyranny of spelling, among many many other things. His heroes of the alphabet range from Edward Lear to Phyllis Pearsall (the inventor of the A-Z), and from the two scribes of Beowulf to rappers. Each chapter takes on a different subject - whether it's codes, umlauts or the writing of dictionaries. Rosen's enthusiasm for letters positively leaps off the page, whether it's the story of his life told through the typewriters he's owned or a chapter on jokes written in a string of gags and word games. This is the book for anyone who's ever wondered why Hawaiian only has a thirteen-letter alphabet or how exactly to write down the sound of a wild raspberry"--

Also in This Series
Copies
Location
Call Number
Status
East Lyme Public Adult Non-Fiction
421.1 Rosen
On Shelf
New London Adult Non Fiction
421.1 ROS
On Shelf
Wallingford Adult Nonfiction
421.1 ROSEN
On Shelf
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More Details
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781619024830, 1619024837

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"How on Earth did we fix upon our twenty-six letters, what do they really mean, and how did we come to write them down in the first place? Michael Rosen takes you on an unforgettable adventure through the history of the alphabet in twenty-six vivid chapters, fizzing with personal anecdotes and fascinating facts. Starting with the mysterious Phoenicians and how sounds first came to be written down, he races on to show how nonsense poems work, pins down the strange story of OK, traces our five lost lettersand tackles the tyranny of spelling, among many many other things. His heroes of the alphabet range from Edward Lear to Phyllis Pearsall (the inventor of the A-Z), and from the two scribes of Beowulf to rappers. Each chapter takes on a different subject - whether it's codes, umlauts or the writing of dictionaries. Rosen's enthusiasm for letters positively leaps off the page, whether it's the story of his life told through the typewriters he's owned or a chapter on jokes written in a string of gags and word games. This is the book for anyone who's ever wondered why Hawaiian only has a thirteen-letter alphabet or how exactly to write down the sound of a wild raspberry"--,Provided by publisher.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Rosen, M. (2015). Alphabetical: how every letter tells a story. Berkeley, California, Pgw.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Rosen, Michael, 1946-. 2015. Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story. Berkeley, California, Pgw.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Rosen, Michael, 1946-, Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story. Berkeley, California, Pgw, 2015.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Rosen, Michael. Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story. Berkeley, California, Pgw, 2015.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Grouped Work ID:
27fd1bc1-7a7a-a87a-4da0-2ee0bee134a2
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Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeMar 17, 2024 06:30:28 AM
Last File Modification TimeMar 17, 2024 06:30:53 AM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeMar 17, 2024 06:30:34 AM

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