Book 24 - Simon Winchester "The Professor and the Madman"

Simon Winchester "The Professor and the Madman" (Harper Perennial)





One would not expect the history of the Oxford English Dictionary to be particularly interesting, but indeed, there is quite a story behind it. A tremendous amount of the dictionary's research was done by a convicted murderer mired in severe mental illness. This book recounts the strange tale of how W.C. Minor came to write significant portions of the dictionary and, more broadly, how the OED came to be.

The OED is undeniably a tremendous achievement. Winchester is clearly enamored of the dictionary; he states unequivocally that the OED is the most important dictionary in human history. He makes little of the various criticisms that have been waged against the dictionary: its orientation towards white, middle-class language conventions, and its imperialist outlook. Winchester has other interests, and cannot be criticized for that. Still, his dismissal of these criticisms is so absolute that it does make one wonder. Overall, this is a compelling story, enjoyably told.