Something kept drawing me to this book, but I had initially shied away due to the "and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary" part of the title. I had no interest in reading about the making of a dictionary. To my surprise, it was extremely interesting. There wasn't a dull moment in this book. It was full of interesting tidbits about words & history and the amazing 50+ year process of making such a comprehensive work of literature as the Oxford English Dictionary. It also gave an amazing in-depth look at mental illness and how even a fractured mind can still be brilliant and useful.