I consistently buy biographies which include extraordinary challenges and triumphs. The Madman's life was certainly challenging and the writing of the Oxford English Dictionary was an incredible triumph. This book is a great addition to my mental trivia.

Because I worked for 30 years as a teacher in a state correctional institution, this book had a double appeal : comparing my personal experience working with persons with mental disablilities and comparing society's incarceration of the insane then to today's law.

The story was well-told and reveals the methodical research involved to put this book into print.

The after story interview with Simon Vance was an addtional bonus - lenghty but well worth listening.

Anti-hero helps write dictionary!

Another fascinating Simon Winchester read. Love his voice, and love his writing. If you're a fan of neat, historical nonfiction, you'll probably really like this listen. Like 'The Devil in the White City'--but with a brisker pace and better eye for interesting detail rather than every detail. You won't be disappointed.

I liked the book, I rated it 3 of 5 stars. I think I am a hard critic though.

Wonderful narration and a truly interesting bit of history I had no idea about. I also loved Simon Winchester's use of vocabulary which really added to a story about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.

This book is an interesting story into how the dictionary came to be. The amazing part is how the author puts sickness from the 1800's into today's version of the same types of sickness. It was very sad how it came to be that Mr. Miner had to live a life of sickness. This is a great story.

Parts can be a bit dry but in all it is a great story as well as an interesting history lesson

I must admit that I first clicked on this book because the title intrigued me. After reading a summary, I thought how interesting could a story about the creation of the Oxford dictionary be? Turns out pretty darn interesting. The narrator (who is also the author) has a very pleasant voice which is perfectly matched for the subject matter of the book.
The Oxford Dictionary, and well, frankly the existence of all dictionaries is something that I have always taken for granted. I never once stopped to think how they came about, but seriously, think about it. You are tasked with organizing and defining every word out there-how exactly does one go about that, this is after all long before "the internet" and "google" were available.
I thought Mr. Winchester did a wonderful job of explaining the process of the dictionary's creation without being boring or mundane, of course the existence of a true madman who happened to be one of the most prolific contributors doesn't hurt.

A great story about one of the most important books in English speaking history.

Readers who would are looking for the focus to be on character development, of both the professor and the madman, are going to be disappointed. However, readers who want a great deal of the book?s focus to be the development of a dictionary, they?ll be very pleased.

This is an amazing story ? and perhaps a terrific film. But this book teases more than is satisfies ? as regards understanding the madman.

A special treat of the recorded book is an interview by the author after the story is told.

Winchester is without question a great reader of his own writing, and this book is an interesting look at the evolution of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Although it has a strong narrative quality, I'm not convinced that it was a book's worth of information; towards the end I found myself becoming bored because the outcome was quite obvious.

Perhaps I should have bought the abridged version.