Month: July 2010
Verbing Nouns (Such as ‘Verb’)
What do these words and phrases have in common? Friend, Google, TiVo, log in, contact, barbecue, unlike, concept, text, Photoshop, leverage, party, Xerox, reference, architect, parent, improv, transition, diligence, host, chair, gift, heart, impact? They’ve all been declared–by someone, somewhere, whether a usage expert or just a self-appointed language cop–“not verbs.” It doesn’t matter whether … Read more
Jane Goodall’s Primate Life: A Journey Through the Jungle
In 1960, she began studying chimpanzees, notebook in hand—a long way from today’s computers and satellites. Jane Goodall reflects on 50 years of primate research, and the cast of characters she grew to love. I remember them all so, so well. Goliath, who lost his alpha position when Mike, using his superior intelligence, learned to … Read more