Review : Words' worth

The Science of Words by George Miller (Scientific American Library,
$19.95, ISBN 0 7167 6016 9) is sheer enjoyment from start to finish.
Fascination with words has three facets—meaning, pronunciation and
context—he claims. Speakers and writers exploit all three, mainly
unconsciously. This is a near miraculous human achievement and the book ranges
over it with such relish that exhilaration supervenes. Superb illustrations.