Wordcatcher

Book excerpt: The English poet W.H. Auden was once asked to teach a poetry class. 200 students applied, but he only had space for 20. When asked how he chose his students, he said he picked only those who truly loved words. Wordcatcher is a book for just such people: people who are fascinated by words, their origins, history and meaning. Who would ever have thought the country of Canada was named after a mistake? Or that all the adventures of Ancient Greek sailors rest on the word 'nostalgia'? Cousineau's delightful and fascinating book is the perfect gift for anyone with a love of words.