Publisher's Synopsis
Welcome to Susanna Janssen's wondrous world of words. In Wordstruck! you'll find a wealth of entertaining reflections on language full of humor, imagination, and insight.
Anything goes, from the genius of Shakespeare to the unintentional hilarity of linguistic faux pas; from musings on the bilingual brain to the poignant humor of her "Life in Words"; from translations gone riotously bad to English learners tortured by our mother tongue's inconstant consonants and sudden vowel movements.
In this fun and fascinating look at language and the cultures that create it, you'll find a new love for metaphor, a fabulous arsenal of fascinating word origins, a surprising cure for earworms, a joyful romp with everyone's favorite grammar errors, and a way to spot liars by listening to their words. You'll learn that color can be a language as foreign as Farsi, and that there are countless words in other languages that don't exist in English.
Dive into this love affair with the lexicon. Please smile, do laugh, and if you cry, it might be at the very last page.
Readers' praise for Wordstruck!:
"A good teacher is a good entertainer and Susanna Janssen is definitely both."
"Smart, Witty, Entertaining, Educational, Touching, and just plain Fun...I thoroughly enjoyed it."
"Each chapter is a compelling story in itself-- a great armchair book for everyday linguistic excursions."
"I want a set for my classroom!"
"From personal anecdotes to Shakespeare's creations, it's a page-turner."
"This book inspired me to want to read."
"It makes English come alive!"
"Wordstruck! is both funny, and profoundly educational."
"I'm falling in love with words all over again."
"I think the book should be a required read for English classes. It's inspiring for those who don't like to read."
"Thank you for your wonderful book Wordstruck! which I read along with my two high school kids. Great material there--the three of us thoroughly enjoyed it!"
"Wordstruck! has given me a happy heart so often."
"I've been reading it in absolute delight, giggling my way through."
"Wordstruck! educates in a way that's fun and inviting."
"Yesterday was sad for me: I finished Wordstruck! I just didn't want the book to end."
"Awesome book!!! How she handles the beauty of language is extraordinary!"
