{"product_id":"9780063360235_enough-is-enuf","title":"Enough Is Enuf","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA brief and humorous 500-year history of the Simplified Spelling Movement from advocates like Ben Franklin, C. S. Lewis, and Mark Twain to texts and Twitter.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy does the \u003ci\u003eG\u003c\/i\u003e in \u003ci\u003eGeorge\u003c\/i\u003e sound different from the \u003ci\u003eG\u003c\/i\u003e in \u003ci\u003egorge\u003c\/i\u003e? Why does \u003ci\u003eC\u003c\/i\u003e begin both \u003ci\u003ecase\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ecease\u003c\/i\u003e? And why is it funny when a philologist faints, but not polight to laf about it? Anyone who has ever had the misfortune to write in English has, at one time or another, struggled with its spelling.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo why do we continue to use it? If our system of writing words is so tragically inconsistent, why haven’t we standardized it, phoneticized it, brought it into line? How many brave linguists throughout language history have ever had the courage to state, in a declaration of phonetic revolt: \"Enough is \u003ci\u003eenuf\u003c\/i\u003e\"? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe answer: \u003ci\u003emany.\u003c\/i\u003e In the comic annals of linguistic history, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill of spelling reform, risking their reputations to bring English into the realm of the rational. This book, a work of popular linguistics, is about them: Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, Eliza Burnz, C. S. Lewis, George Bernard Shaw, Charles Darwin, and the innumerable others on both sides of the Atlantic who, for a time in their life, became fanatically occupied with writing \u003ci\u003ethru\u003c\/i\u003e instead of \u003ci\u003ethrough, tho\u003c\/i\u003e for \u003ci\u003ethough, laf\u003c\/i\u003e for \u003ci\u003elaugh, beleev\u003c\/i\u003e for \u003ci\u003ebelieve,\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003edawter\u003c\/i\u003e for \u003ci\u003edaughter\u003c\/i\u003e (and tried futilely to get everyone around them to do it too). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHenry takes his humorous and informative chronicle right up to today as the language seems to naturally be simplifying to fit the needs of our changing world thanks to technology—from texting to Twitter and emojis, the Simplified Spelling Movement may finally be having its day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis deep dive into the comic annals of spelling reform reveals:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA 500-Year History of Spelling Reform:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow a centuries-long battle against silent letters and nonsensical rules, from medieval monks to modern-day texters.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFamous Advocates and Rebels:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the surprisingly passionate campaigns of figures like Mark Twain, Ben Franklin, George Bernard Shaw, and even a U.S. President.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Absurdity of English:\u003c\/b\u003e Uncover why \u003ci\u003edoubt\u003c\/i\u003e has a \"b\", \u003ci\u003edaughter\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003elaughter\u003c\/i\u003e don’t rhyme, and legions of rebel wordsmiths have declared \"Enough is \u003ci\u003eenuf!\u003c\/i\u003e\".\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom Dictionaries to Twitter:\u003c\/b\u003e Trace the evolution of simplified spelling from Noah Webster’s dictionary right up to the age of emojis, hashtags, and social media.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Gabe Henry","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47132739829909,"sku":"9780063360235","price":27.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/x750_95336e60-34a7-4775-aaec-5b9bc4fc2967.jpg?v=1776889810","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780063360235_enough-is-enuf","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}