Have You Eaten Grandma?

If you haven’t eaten grandma, with or without condiments, then you’re missing out on one of the most fun (or should this be funniest) reads, a tome that dissects our English language. Written by an author who is an admitted lover of words and an anglophile to boot, his passion for the correct usage of written speech delightfully infects the reader. Gyles Brandreth, BBC broadcaster and committed scrabble contender cheerily shows how punctuation affects the reader’s understanding of a script. A comma suggests a short pause, a semicolon indicates a longer wait, and the period commands stop; while an exclamation point yells ‘halt’ and demands attention. His guides to punctuation are whimsically phrased to help the writer clarify the intended meaning. Written with engaging wit, the history of the origin of words, spelling headaches, the tortuous rules of English pronunciation, the illogic of forming plurals for words such as mouse, goose, foot, etc. and so many other conundrums are amusingly yet competently confronted. He is not shy about covering bad language, computer contractions, slang, wordplay and is able to clarify the differences between British English and American English. As a learning manual for those challenged by literacy, this is an inviting, non-threatening text; for those who claim to be well-read, this is a book that provides many an entertaining chuckle.