Roots of Happiness
100 Words for Joy and Hope from Britain's Most-Loved Word Expert
Published on 5. October 2023
Book
Hardback
128 pages
978-0-241-57319-8 (ISBN)
Description
"I enjoyed this so much. As a pessimistic lover of words, this was both comforting and heart-warming. I always think that learning about etymology is a way to appreciate the secret code of the world, and Susie is the perfect guide and companion and lexical cheerleader." - Stig Abel
"Susie Dent's way with words always makes me happy. This is my kind of book. There's positivity on every page." - Gyles Brandreth
Susie Dent, bestselling author, broadcaster and word expert, is on a mission to find light in the deepest, darkest corners of our language.
It takes just a short browse through the dictionary to spot how it is filled with negative words. But Susie has searched far and wide to unearth happy and uplifting words and phrases that, in some cases, are long forgotten, while others have only just been discovered.
Paired with beautiful illustrations, this is the perfect book to lift you out of your mubble fubbles (a slightly sad mood), make you grin like a gigglemug (someone who never stops smiling), and have you feeling forblissed (extremely happy) in no time.
This joyous collection of 100 positive words and their origins will show readers young and old just how wonderful language can be - and how you can use your words to make the world a happier place.
"Susie Dent's way with words always makes me happy. This is my kind of book. There's positivity on every page." - Gyles Brandreth
Susie Dent, bestselling author, broadcaster and word expert, is on a mission to find light in the deepest, darkest corners of our language.
It takes just a short browse through the dictionary to spot how it is filled with negative words. But Susie has searched far and wide to unearth happy and uplifting words and phrases that, in some cases, are long forgotten, while others have only just been discovered.
Paired with beautiful illustrations, this is the perfect book to lift you out of your mubble fubbles (a slightly sad mood), make you grin like a gigglemug (someone who never stops smiling), and have you feeling forblissed (extremely happy) in no time.
This joyous collection of 100 positive words and their origins will show readers young and old just how wonderful language can be - and how you can use your words to make the world a happier place.
Reviews / Votes
I enjoyed this so much. As a pessimistic lover of words, this was both comforting and heart-warming. I always think that learning about etymology is a way to appreciate the secret code of the world, and Susie is the perfect guide and companion and lexical cheerleader. -- Stig Abel Susie Dent's way with words always makes me happy. This is my kind of book. There's positivity on every page. -- Gyles BrandrethMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Random House Children's UK
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 6 years
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 193 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
594 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-57319-8 (9780241573198)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2023
Puffin
€14.99
Available for download
Persons
Susie Dent (Author)
Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated 25 years as the resident word expert on C4's Countdown, and also appears on the show's comedy sister 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Susie comments regularly on TV and radio on words in the news. Susie answers notes and queries about words and phrases in weekly columns in the Radio Times and The Week Junior. She has written for the Independent on Sunday, the Telegraph, and the Times, and is the author of several books, including her latest, Dent's Modern Tribes. She is a spokesperson for Oxford University Press, and has been a judge on the Costa Book Awards and on the Academy Excellence Awards. Susie regularly delivers key-note speeches to both small companies and major corporations on language and communication.
@susie_dent
Harriet Hobday (Illustrator)
Harriet Hobday is an extraordinary new talent, a recent graduate of the MA Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Currently based in Edinburgh, she was highly commended in the Macmillan Prize 2015 and runner-up for The Batsford Prize 2018.
Susie Dent is a writer and broadcaster on language. She recently celebrated 25 years as the resident word expert on C4's Countdown, and also appears on the show's comedy sister 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown. Susie comments regularly on TV and radio on words in the news. Susie answers notes and queries about words and phrases in weekly columns in the Radio Times and The Week Junior. She has written for the Independent on Sunday, the Telegraph, and the Times, and is the author of several books, including her latest, Dent's Modern Tribes. She is a spokesperson for Oxford University Press, and has been a judge on the Costa Book Awards and on the Academy Excellence Awards. Susie regularly delivers key-note speeches to both small companies and major corporations on language and communication.
@susie_dent
Harriet Hobday (Illustrator)
Harriet Hobday is an extraordinary new talent, a recent graduate of the MA Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Currently based in Edinburgh, she was highly commended in the Macmillan Prize 2015 and runner-up for The Batsford Prize 2018.