Culled from his On Language column in The Chicago Tribune, Nathan Bierma conducts a wide-ranging discussion of topics related to English language. He gets under the hood to find out what etymologists do to arrive at their conclusions (they get under the hood), looks at dictionaries through the eyes of those who make them (and catches them making up a word to catch would-be word pirates), and ponders simple usage questions (lay or lie? bring or take? could care less or couldn t care less?) in ways you may not have considered before. He also fields questions from his readers and shows off some of the more interesting Australian slang, horse racing cliches, untranslatable terms, birding vocabulary, and lots more.

The Eclectic Encyclopedia of English: Language at its most enigmatic, ephemeral, and egregious, as observed in "On Language"

Reference

Bierma, Nathan

Words, Language & Grammar

William, James & Company

No one can doubt the immense courage shown by Jackie Robinson when he took his position at Ebbets Field on Tuesday afternoon, April 15, 1947. The first play of the game was a ground ball to third base, and Robinson, playing first, took the throw to make the first putout. It wasn't just the one moment that was important, of course, but the ongoing significance of his presence on the field. Robinson was the first Black American to play what was then defined as major-league baseball at a time when baseball was dominant in American culture-truly the National Pastime-but an institution which had been segregated by race. After Robinson completed his 10-year Hall of Fame playing career, the six-time All-Star with a lifetime on-base percentage of .409 took his rightful place in Cooperstown. Perhaps it is true that celebrating Jackie Robinson's courageous role in integration can sometimes reduce him to a symbol, over-simplify his complex grappling with the racial issues of his day, and turn him into a convenient and self-congratulatory icon celebrated by Major League Baseball today. But, in fact, he was-and remains-a meaningful and inspirational symbol. The articles in this book look beyond the oft-told tale of April 15, 1947, and examine many facets of Robinson's life and career. Almost all of the articles in Jackie were written specifically for this book. Some 54 members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) contributed their work as authors and editors to bring together a book that offers a variety of perspectives on "42."

Jackie: Perspectives on 42 (SABR All Stars)

History

Sparks, Glen

Lester, Larry

Carhart, Ralph

Wolf, Gregory H.

Belleville, Gary

Americas

Society for American Baseball Research

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