Book Review: The Professor and the Madman

The subtitle for this book reads "A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary."  Sounds boring, right?

Well, maybe only the part that mentions the making of a dictionary.  The other part - the murder and insanity - that is what intrigues you enough to start reading...and keep reading...and finish reading.

To be honest, I'm an English major and a high school English teacher, and even though I read and write all the time, I was still skeptical when my fiancee' repeatedly recommended this book.

The skepticism ended when I began reading because, to be honest, I couldn't put this book down.  The book reads more like a mystery/drama (somehow magically combined)  rather than a history.  The intrigue of the relationship between a madman - who, believe me, did some pretty crazy things - and a well-esteemed professor is enough to keep one reading, but how this relationship brought about the dictionary - well, that part is especially enamoring if you, like me, are into words and reading and English-y stuff.

Although I often reach a "dead spot" in the middle of many books that I end up skimming or skipping over, there was no "dead spot" in "The Professor and the Madman."  It is a page turner, and it is no wonder that it was a national bestseller.

So, if you are a person who enjoys a bit of mystery, or some drama, or even the history of things or of words - in short, if you are simply a person who enjoys reading, I am pretty sure you will find this book intriguing to the very last page.

Try it.  And let me know what you thought.

My Favorite Quote

My favorite quote?  It would be too hard to choose just one - even before Pinterest existed, I had a journal in which I wrote quotes and poems that I collected from various places.  I have always been a lover of quotes - probably because I am a lover of words.  What I love about quotes is that they take a few well chosen words to say something that most people couldn't say in a paragraph or an essay.

Quotes illustrate the power of diction.

That's your English lesson for the day, but I'm done now.  On to my favorite quotes!  (I managed to narrow it down to four!)

This quote reminds me of one I heard (and recorded in my journal) when I was just a twelve year old: "Burn out; don't rust out."  I have always done whatever I am doing with my whole heart, and I have always hated boredom.  From a young age, I have always found new tasks and goals to accomplish and new things to learn, just so I wouldn't be bored.

My life has never been boring, that is for sure!  I will continue to pack my schedule too full until the rest of my life - of that I am pretty sure!

This leads me to the next quote...

You aren't very old before you realize that everyone around you has certain expectations that they expect you to fulfill.  Perhaps it is academic or career accomplishments that are expected of you; I was expected to follow a certain gender stereotype that was narrow and restrictive.

I didn't fit the stereotype when I was young, but as I grew into my late teens and early adulthood, I cared enough about what others thought to try to fit into this stereotype.  I succeeded, somewhat, but inside, I was longing to be somewhere else, do something else, really accomplish what my heart was dreaming.

In my early 20's, I decided to follow my heart, and I've never looked back.  This is why this has to be one of my very favorite sayings.  It takes all kinds of kinds to make this world go around, so don't ever let societal expectations tame you!

Another favorite quote is this one - the reminder that not everything is as it seems.  By nature I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, but even I have had my moments where I was incredibly harsh or judgmental of someone, only to learn later that, had I known their circumstances and story, I would have had only compassion.

There are only a few times I regret being kind - and that was when I was taken advantage of - but I always regret being unkind.  I need this reminder on a regular basis, when the tragedies of our world have worn out my optimism.

Now, for the last quote...

Along the same lines as the quote above, but a word for myself.  In my young adult years, I did everything I could to "save" - help or rescue from themselves - several teens.  Suffice to say, the results were not what I wanted and I struggled with burn out and depression.  Sometime during these years, I discovered this quote, and with it came a flood of relief.

I cannot change anyone's mind or anyone's choices; however, I can love them.  Sometimes love is all the encouragement they need to make a healthier choice for their life and their future.  This has freed me, while at the same time, constantly reminding me of what Mother Theresa said...

Oops.  That was five quotes.  Even so, you should be proud of me - I have hundreds of quotes between my journals and my Pinterest, so only burdening you with five is quite an accomplishment on my side!  Quotes can be succinct reminders of profound truths we need to remember and a reminder of the power of words!