Icon’s Books of the Year Part 1

Posted on 2011/12/19 , tagged as

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This year, we’ve got some of the mysterious faces who work the magic behind the scenes at Icon to choose their Books of the Year. We’ll post a couple every day this week in the run-up to Christmas, starting with Duncan, who recommends The Etymologicon – which is currently Book of the Week on Radio 4 (listen to the first episode here for the next seven days).

The Etymologicon

Chosen by Duncan Heath, Editorial Director

‘This is my favourite book of the year – in fact it’s one of the best books we’ve ever produced. Everyone who has read just a few pages has been immediately hooked, and that includes all the people who have worked on it here at Icon as well as those in the book trade and the media. It just has that brilliant combination of slightly highbrow, arcane subject matter (the derivation of words and how they are often bizarrely linked) and a deliciously dry wit. More than just dinner party or pub table trivia, The Etymologicon actually makes you think about the words you speak, and so gives you a keen sense of living history, and a charmingly eccentric and unpredictable history at that. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop – luckily there’s a follow-up next year!’