Made in America
8 journalers for this copy...
A gift from Secret Santa...
Journal Entry 2 by Vekiki from -- Somewhere in London 🤷‍♀️ , Greater London United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 24, 2008
I love you Santa!!! Thankyou
Journal Entry 3 by Vekiki from -- Somewhere in London 🤷‍♀️ , Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, April 12, 2009
Well... What to say? Not my favourie Bryson book... much longer han it needed to be, with points often repeated and many pages degenrating to just a list of words. But some really interesing little nuggests, and occasional flashes of Bryson's wicked humour, I basically felt this book would be twice as good if it was half as long!
I'll be popping this in the post to smeone who requested it months ago... sorry its taken me so long!
I'll be popping this in the post to smeone who requested it months ago... sorry its taken me so long!
Journal Entry 4 by Vekiki at -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Saturday, June 6, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (5/6/2009 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Well, I actually posted this out to a fellow BCer about 6 weeks ago, but was clearly being a bit rubbish and didnt JE it - sorry!
Off to chase it up now, see if its managed to arrive yet
Well, I actually posted this out to a fellow BCer about 6 weeks ago, but was clearly being a bit rubbish and didnt JE it - sorry!
Off to chase it up now, see if its managed to arrive yet
The postman arrived today with this book - a perfect timing, because it's only two days and my summer holiday begins :) Let's see if I could manage with the book during this summer...
Thanks for the lovely London-themed postcard as well, Vekiki!
Thanks for the lovely London-themed postcard as well, Vekiki!
This Bryson wasn't just what I expected, I've read his travel stories so far and this book was something else. I became exhausted with all these little details about American history and single words - I suppose one should me more interested in America to love this ?! Perhaps I made a mistake by trying to read this book from cover to cover - the tiny details are interesting as such.
#92 for Reduce Mount TBR 2010 Challenge by DoveiLibri
#92 for Reduce Mount TBR 2010 Challenge by DoveiLibri
Goes to my tbr pile.
I noticed that Made in America is on CatharinaL's wishlist. I still haven't read this, so I'll give the book to her.
Myntti visited us today and gave me this surprise book! Thanks!
For once I'm bouncing back and forth with more or less prejudiced expectations before I've even read the back cover... An interesting feeling, being extremely wary of Bryson while sincerely looking forward to this particular one of his. Everybody knows I haven't been particularly wild about his writing or his ideas previosuly... but I hear this one should be something else. Mmmm...
For once I'm bouncing back and forth with more or less prejudiced expectations before I've even read the back cover... An interesting feeling, being extremely wary of Bryson while sincerely looking forward to this particular one of his. Everybody knows I haven't been particularly wild about his writing or his ideas previosuly... but I hear this one should be something else. Mmmm...
I knew it!
A thoroughly fascinating, ambitious book that almost completely lacks Bryson's usual trademark style and mannerisms. We're talking a history of the US told from the perspective of text and the variations and quirks of language. Made in America effectively seeks to debunk the national legends embedded in language, to 'de-mythologize' America... from Sacawagea to Kellogg's breakfast cereal and from the arbitrary way states received their official names to what AIDS was called before. I was mesmerized from the moment I laid hands on the book.
Popularized science (well, philology!) has never been so enjoyable. The book is easy to read throughout but it never lapses to underestimating the reader. Some of the contents were familiar basics for any linguistics student while some I'd encountered in other books, but I loved the way the suggestive details never create a dull moment. Bryson's way is far from that of a rigid scholar; he brings the history of America to life and for all to enjoy, informally, anecdotally, and with a delightful ease, but for once without putting himself in the spotlight. The pace and the flow and the way the the tidbits and the odd corners of history are weaved together seem analogous to the common stereotypes of the 'Melting Pot' itself!
I could not help noticing, though, that the chosen format was getting stale towards the closing chapters--simply because there is such an abundance of new terms entering the vocabulary every year, and even the most ambitious attempt to list all is bound to be very narrow in scope. Also, the book was written in the early 1990s and therefore bears no mention of our everyday HDTV, laptops, Blu-Ray, blogs, iPods or even mobile phones. Makes me realize what a jungle of new concepts the entertainment technology industry has created for our convenience since! Gosh.
I don't believe you need to love America to love the book—you need to love words!
I'm keeping the book for a while and persuade hubby to read it.
A thoroughly fascinating, ambitious book that almost completely lacks Bryson's usual trademark style and mannerisms. We're talking a history of the US told from the perspective of text and the variations and quirks of language. Made in America effectively seeks to debunk the national legends embedded in language, to 'de-mythologize' America... from Sacawagea to Kellogg's breakfast cereal and from the arbitrary way states received their official names to what AIDS was called before. I was mesmerized from the moment I laid hands on the book.
Popularized science (well, philology!) has never been so enjoyable. The book is easy to read throughout but it never lapses to underestimating the reader. Some of the contents were familiar basics for any linguistics student while some I'd encountered in other books, but I loved the way the suggestive details never create a dull moment. Bryson's way is far from that of a rigid scholar; he brings the history of America to life and for all to enjoy, informally, anecdotally, and with a delightful ease, but for once without putting himself in the spotlight. The pace and the flow and the way the the tidbits and the odd corners of history are weaved together seem analogous to the common stereotypes of the 'Melting Pot' itself!
I could not help noticing, though, that the chosen format was getting stale towards the closing chapters--simply because there is such an abundance of new terms entering the vocabulary every year, and even the most ambitious attempt to list all is bound to be very narrow in scope. Also, the book was written in the early 1990s and therefore bears no mention of our everyday HDTV, laptops, Blu-Ray, blogs, iPods or even mobile phones. Makes me realize what a jungle of new concepts the entertainment technology industry has created for our convenience since! Gosh.
I don't believe you need to love America to love the book—you need to love words!
I'm keeping the book for a while and persuade hubby to read it.
Visited Finland's best known BookCrossing family — big article in three different newspapers just recently — this evening. Bill Bryson followed me home...
Thank you both, CatharinaL and cazfi, and thanks to your kids & Carolyn too. I had really good time. Hope to see you all soon.
Thank you both, CatharinaL and cazfi, and thanks to your kids & Carolyn too. I had really good time. Hope to see you all soon.
Reserving this for Silkki-
Something's wrong. I've been trying to read this book for some couple of months now and I'm not quite even on page 100 yet. It's not Bill Bryson or his text—I really enjoy the way he writes and find all the facts truly interesting—it's me.
I give up. There's someone else waiting for this book, and I think it's time for Bill Bryson to move on.
I give up. There's someone else waiting for this book, and I think it's time for Bill Bryson to move on.
Released 12 yrs ago (2/2/2012 UTC) at Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Giving the book to Kemppu, hoping that she'll take it to Helsinki.
I'm sorry it took so long, Silkki, but the book is worth waiting for. Enjoy! :)
I'm sorry it took so long, Silkki, but the book is worth waiting for. Enjoy! :)
I received this today at the Helsinki area meetup from Annimanni. I guess she got it from Kemppu? Anyway, the book is finally here! Thanks!
I usually really like Bryson's writing style but I have to agree with some previous readers in that this book was far too long and at times regressed merely to lists of words. And it's not that I'm not interested in philology but this was just too much! It took me a long time to get through the book.
There were several interesting facts and anecdotes, and I do like Bryson so the book was not as dull as it might have been. But all in all, I was expecting more Bryson and less word lists, so this was a bit of a disappointment.
There were several interesting facts and anecdotes, and I do like Bryson so the book was not as dull as it might have been. But all in all, I was expecting more Bryson and less word lists, so this was a bit of a disappointment.
I'll take the book with me to the Helsinki area bc meetup to see if it would find a new reader there.
Journal Entry 18 by Niora at Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjala / Norra Karelen Finland on Sunday, September 16, 2012
Ah, finally some more Bill Bryson - I discovered the writer through BookCrossing and have read a fair number of his books already, always enjoying them. This one certainly looks like fun, too!
(I made something of a surprise visit to the Helsinki meet-up last week and took the book home with me from there.)
(I made something of a surprise visit to the Helsinki meet-up last week and took the book home with me from there.)