Making the Alphabet Dance: Recreational Wordplay

by Ross Eckler

Presents a collection of word games and puzzles, including acrostics, isograms, and palindromes

Genres: Language, Nonfiction, Writing, Linguistics

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Roxanne]

I couldn't get through this, unfortunately. Eckler is clearly an expert in wordplay, but I found either the subject itself or his presentation of it (probably both) just too dry to persevere. I enjoy some of the kinds of wordplay that Eckler describes, but most of this book was too technical and mathematical for me. I made it through maybe chapter 3. The section on palindromes, however, was quite informative!

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the first few chapters, and skimmed the rest. Seems like a fun book to pick up, skip to a random page in, and read for 10 minutes or so when you're bored.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book per se, but also not something I'd recommend for pleasure reading. I like word games and palindromes, but this book is more about mathematical processes that have been done with words, rather than linguistic things that carry meaning. The author even admits as much in the last chapter.

[Kellye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating premise, although too mathematical for my taste. The author clearly adores his subject. Definitely reads like a vanity project, though!

[Karlien]

Most of the content far too technical for me, but did enjoy the palindromes.

[Christopher Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ross Eckler's "Making the Alphabet Dance: Recreational Wordplay" is one of the classics of wordplay and recreational linguistics. Eckler was the editor of the top publication in this area, "Word Ways", for many years, and the consequent breadth and depth of his knowledge is reflected in the very high quality of each topic covered. It's a more analytical approach to wordplay than books such as the Lynne Truss "Eats, Shoots & Leaves", more similar in spirit to Dmitri Borgmann's iconic "Language on Vacation", but no less entertaining in spirit or in style. Highly recommended.

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun book. Despite this is probably intended for linguistic geeks, it's actually readable for casual reader too. Here Ross Eckler change my views forever on alphabets. Just like the title implied, you will see Alphabet start dancing after you read a portion of this book.

[Julie]

Word Freak recommends Dmitri Borgman's Language on Vacation in the text itself, but in the sources section it also specifically lists this as a good book on words and wordplay.

[Steven Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a big book with lots of weird, quirky ideas.

My favorite bit: Palindromes.