The Etymologicon

If you invest even the slightest interest in the workings of language and the origin of words then this is a must read.

Why?

Well firstly it's not a difficult read, neither is it a patronising one.  I won't claim to follow absolutely every thread, but I didn't feel like I was missing the point as a result.  Where possible this is written in plain terms that pretty much anyone could follow

The Etymologicon is also neatly arranged into short, manageable sections, making it ideal to pick up and read when you have a couple of minutes spare.  These sections, moreover, link neatly to one another, so if you feel like a more substantial session your read won't feel stilted by the segregation.

We also have humour and pedantry in the same place, which Eats, Shoots and Leaves demonstrated is a viable, and wonderful combination.  The Etymologicon is better than Eats Shoots and Leaves though, as there is no hint of accusation in its pedantry.  This is the pedantry of a person who has a passion for language, not a bee in their bonnet about folks misusing apostrophes.

Mostly though it's a great lesson about the misguided assumptions we make about our own language.  I was fascinated to learn that so much of our language was actually bought back from exotic climes by explorers (you'd be astonished at the number of arabic and indian influences on our language), and that so much of it was simply invented by creative authors with sufficient influence.

...and then so much more is the result of butchering, laziness, and misunderstandings through the ages that have evolved our language.

WARNING:  This book may cause you to bore the crap out of your loved ones, without even understanding why.