Isms

If you love words, you’ll love -iSMs!

There are words—and then there are -ISMs. More than just expressions with a wacky suffix, -ISMs are the eccentric geniuses of the English language. From esoteric philosophies and arcane religions to avant-garde artistic movements and kinky sexual practices, -ISMs describe our highest forms of human thought and endeavor—and our very lowest.

In this engaging and enlightening book, you’ll explore more than 200 of the most interesting, mysterious, and obscure -ISMs, discovering the true meaning of these intriguing words as well as the often bizarre etymologies, mythologies, and the common and not-so-common usage behind them. With -ISMs as your guide, you’ll be the most sophisticated wordsmith since Yogi Berra.