Monthly Archives: December 2023

Book Review: That’s Not English

Posted on December 31, 2023 by nathanalbright

That’s Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, And What Our English Says About Us, by Erin Moore This is not a book by a professional linguist, but rather a sort of a memoir of how it is that an American woman and a … Continue reading →

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It Could Have Been Worse

Posted on December 30, 2023 by nathanalbright

In the late 1980’s, the (then) teen-pop singer Tiffany scored a #1 hit with the searing “Could’ve Been,” in which she agonized over a relationship gone bad. A bit more than fifteen years later, the band Coldplay, in their song “Lost,” … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Speaking American

Posted on December 30, 2023 by nathanalbright

Speaking American: A History Of English In The United States, by Richard W. Bailey It has often been considered a disadvantage that the United States has had no unified language institute in the manner of many European languages to seek to … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Death In Florence

Posted on December 29, 2023 by nathanalbright

Death In Florence: The Medici, Savonarola, And The Battle For The Soul Of A Renaissance City, by Paul Strathern At the end of this book (spoiler alert), the author reveals that the death in Florence does not just refer to one … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution

Posted on December 27, 2023 by nathanalbright

The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution: Reconstructing The Economic Foundations Of American Democracy, by Joseph Fishkin & William E. Forbath What is the sort of American Democracy that the author wants to construct? If you take the time to read this book–and it is honestly … Continue reading →

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Wherefore Art Thou Florida Man?: Part One

Posted on December 26, 2023 by nathanalbright

Although I have for more than a decade lived in the Pacific Northwest in the area of Portland, Oregon and its surrounding communities, I have still spent a majority of my life as a resident of the state of Florida … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Princes Of The Renaissance

Posted on December 26, 2023 by nathanalbright

Princes Of The Renaissance: The Hidden Power Behind An Artistic Revolution, by Mary Hollingsworth Unfortunately, this book manages to combine several unfortunate traits into a single book that would, at least at the outset, seem like a slam-dunk for a great … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Power Of Babel

Posted on December 25, 2023 by nathanalbright

The Power Of Babel: A Natural History Of Languages, by John McWhorter The author of this book writes from the point of view of someone who has spent his career largely tracking a specific set of conditions involved in the development … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Himalaya: A Human History

Posted on December 24, 2023 by nathanalbright

Himalaya: A Human History, by Ed Douglas Given the author’s goal of making the complex reality of the Himalaya and its people and realms familiar to Western audiences who are used to very specific stereotypes and cliches about the region and … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Bourbons

Posted on December 23, 2023 by nathanalbright

The Bourbons: The History Of A Dynasty, by J.H. Shennan What kind of history is this book? Having some awareness of its scope will help to answer this question. For one, this book is about the Bourbon monarchs of France, starting with King … Continue reading →

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