Story of Ain't

It takes true brilliance to lift the arid tellings of lexicographic fussing into the readable realm of the thriller and the bodice-ripper.David Skinner has done precisely this, taking a fine story and honing it to popular perfection.Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the MadmanThe Story of Aint by David Skinner is the captivating true chronicle of the creation of Merriam Websters Third New International Dictionary in 1961, the most controversial dictionary ever published. Skinners surprising and engaging, erudite and witty account will enthrall fans of Winchesters The Professor and the Madman and The Meaning of Everything, and The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs, as it explores a culture in transition and the brilliant, colorful individuals behind it. The Story of Aint is a smart, often outrageous, and altogether remarkable tale of how egos, infighting, and controversy shaped one of Americas most authoritative language texts, sparking a furious language debate that the late, great author David Foster Wallace (Infinite Jest) once called the Fort Sumter of the Usage Wars.