You Could Look It Up: The Reference Shelf From Ancient Babylon to Wikipedia

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"Knowledge is of two kinds," said Samuel Johnson in 1775. "We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it." Today we think of Wikipedia as the source of all information, the ultimate reference. Yet it is just the latest in a long line of aggregated knowledge--reference works that have shaped the way we've seen the world for centuries.

You Could Look It Up chronicles the captivating stories behind these great works and their contents, and the way they have influenced each other. From The Code of Hammurabi, the earliest known compendium of laws in ancient Babylon almost two millennia before Christ to Pliny's Natural History; from the 11th-century Domesday Book recording land holdings in England to Abraham Ortelius's first atlas of the world; from Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language to The Whole Earth Catalog to Google, Jack Lynch illuminates the human stories and accomplishment behind each, as well as its enduring impact on civilization. In the process, he offers new insight into the value of knowledge.**Review"As readers make their ways through this book, they are certain to discover a wide variety of must-haves . . . Great stuff for anyone who loves knowledge, deep or trivial." ―starred review, Kirkus Reviews"Anyone who enjoys reference books will embrace this erudite compilation and Lynch's appreciative, fluent commentary." ―Publishers Weekly"You Could Look It Up is an entertaining, enlightening look into the vast, complex world of reference books and their tireless compilers across the ages, extending far beyond the familiar works of Samuel Johnson, Peter Roget, and Noah Webster." ―Steve Kleinedler, executive editor, THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE"A stunning tour de force, Lynch's new book is compulsively readable. No one has ever packed so much fascinating information about reference books into one volume. Polymaths of the world, delight!" ―Bryan A. Garner, chief editor of BLACK'S LAW DICTIONARY and author of GARNER'S MODERN ENGLISH USAGE"The English language changes . . . Lynch recognizes that grace, clarity, and precision of expression are paramount. His many well-chosen and entertaining examples support his conclusion that prescriptions and pedantry will always give way to change, and that we should stop fretting, relax, and embrace it." ―Boston Globe on THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S DILEMMA"In his sprightly new history of 'proper' English . . . Lynch [asks] us all to calm down, please, and recognize that 'proper' English is a recent and changeable institution." ―Salon.com on THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S DILEMMA"[A] delightful look at efforts through the centuries to define and control the English language . . . [Lynch] gives us not a history of the English language but a history of those who have tried to make sense of it." ―Washington Post on THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S DILEMMA"Lynch's book pleasingly delineates the conflict between those who have attempted to embalm English and those who have documented, and in some cases reveled in, its plasticity and mutability." ―Financial Times on THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S DILEMMA"Lynch writes in funny and engaging prose about the human side of language history and the people who have helped make English so darn complex . . . Lynch's highly readable book will appeal to all users of the English language, from word buffs to scholars alike." ―Library Journal on THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S DILEMMAAbout the Author











Jack Lynch is a professor of English at Rutgers University. He specializes in English literature of the eighteenth century and the history of the English language. He is the author of several books including The Lexicographer's Dilemma: The Evolution of 'Proper' English, from Shakespeare to South Park and Samuel Johnson's Insults: A Compendium of Snubs, Sneers, Slights, and Effronteries from the Eighteenth-Century Master. He lives in New Jersey.