Made in America

Name: Made in America
SKU: 109624
Availability: InStock

4.4 | 2,209 ratings

Price: 19.58

Last update: 12-28-2024

About this item

In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.

Yuri Sobol

Very Interesting and Entrtaining

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2024

This book, full of fascinating facts and details, is a great way to learn about American history. It's easy to read a bit at a time, so just opening it up is not a commitment. Bryson's prose is intelligent and entertaining.

A. Anderson

A knowledgeable conversation about the language

Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2008

Pardon me while I whine a bit, but the reviewers who complain that the book lacks scholarship and similar pedantic complaints have missed the point. Bill Bryson is a writer, a storyteller, and man of wide interests who can churn out charming, remarkably well researched books at a satisfying rate. Like his History of Everything (the "history" of science), The Informal History of American English is not a textbook, not complete and not intended for a serious study of the language. It makes the point that language is evolutionary, a flexible, variable tool that, in America, probably has had a broader range of lasting influences than most languages, and those influences reflect American society. If you are a reader and like words and their derivations, this is dessert--fully satisfying but not the complete meal. He prefers the words and sayings that have good stories about them, and his 20 years of living in England are reflected in is often wry, dryly witty take on the facts. It is occasionally laugh out loud, has any number of chuckles and is interesting throughout. He writes easily and occasionally reflects some real depth in his efforts. He relies perhaps a bit too much on Mencken's research, but then they share a world view and sense of humor. Originally a travel writer, he takes a trip through American history and points out the bits that interest him most, and makes it enjoyable, entertaining and even educational. Like a conversation, the book sometimes wanders off topic to charming or ironic side note, but he always returns to the main road. If your expectations are reasonable, this book is a pleasure and I suspect you will pick it up later, from time to time, to remind yourself of the story or circumstances behind the way we speak or just to get a moment of intelligent wit. I gave it 4, instead of 5, stars because he could have written more, because it needs a little editing and because despite an impressive bibliography, a bit of the philosophy of language development would not have gone amiss. But for a pleasurable read on an interesting topic for the dilettante (history of the word dilettante is in the book), this is a good buy.

Eric DiPier

Classic Bill Bryson

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2019

Somehow, I missed this book, even after discovering Bill Bryson and reading all of his other works. I'm very glad I eventually found it, because it's wonderful. The title is a little bit misleading, because it's really only partly about the English language. It's mostly about fascinating, usually funny, historical anecdotes, with just a dash of English language thrown in. There are several points in the book where you're just reading about history for page after page -- written in the classic Bill Bryson style, so much less dull than it would otherwise be -- with seemingly no connection to language. Then after three or four pages, he makes the connection to a single word. And then he dashes off to another series of historical events.

I'd say this is a can't-miss for any Bryson fans, and a great place to start if you're interested in the author but have not experienced his writing yet.

Kelsey May Dangelo

Another great read from Bill Bryson!

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2010

"The American was good natured, generous, hospitable and sociable, and he reversed the whole of language to make the term 'stranger' one of welcome."--Henry Steele Commager

Whenever I am reading Bill Bryson, I am compelled to talk about it incessantly. So, I'm sure it was a long few weeks for my friends and family. Bryson doesn't disappoint in this follow-up to the brilliant, amazing (and one my favorite books ever) The Mother Tongue. Made in America basically tells the history of the United States, using its unique take on the English language as the medium by which to tell a fascinating historical, sociological, psychological, and cultural story, from America's beginnings with the blending of English and native languages that created a poetry of nomenclature, to the immigrant contribution to vocabulary, to the inventive spirit of business and machines that influence linguistics. Americans use English differently, different clichés, different vocabulary, different prose and style, and have contributed greatly to language. Bryson tells a fascinating story, and a brilliant linguistic one. I loved this book. So full of fascinating goodies. Thanks again for another great read, Bill! Grade: A

Kindle Customer

Disappointed by last chapter

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2024

Overall, I found this book very interesting. It is a bit difficult to read all at once, and I found it was easier to retain all of the information if I read it in smaller chunks in between other books. I was deeply disappointed, however, that the author felt the need to equate religious beliefs with a lack of education in the final chapter. Unlike other statements in the book, this statement is unsupported by any type of data and is nothing more than the author's opinion. I suspect if similar comments had been made about other religious systems, the editors would have flagged them as inappropriate.

Frozen_Lizard

Fun, interesting, Bryson

Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2023

This is a fun book. An overview of American history with an eye (or ear?) towards the origins of familiar words and phrases as well as some once popular words that have been forgotten.

This isn't some dry, clinical, (boring) scholarly study; it's fun, conversational-style tale of how a brand new country absorbed, confiscated, and assimilated words and phrases from other languages to form it's very own.

Great fun. Highly informative. Bill Bryson has done it again!

Ralph Douglas

The most interesting useless information!

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2024

Bryson can make a bowl of jello as interesting and fascinating as any subject.. one of my all time favorite writers.
If I had teachers like Bill Bryson growing up,
I’m sure my life would have been changed significantly for the better. He seems to write faster than I can read. But I'm discovering his history of chronicles and I will catch up..

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