'It is a damn poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word - U.S. PresidentShakespeare, Shake-speare, Shakspeare, Shaxberd, Shakespere, Shak-speare, Shaskpear, Shakspere, Shaksper, Schaksp., Shakespear, Shakespheare'My spelling is Wobbly' - Winnie-the-Pooh This delightful, quick-footed book celebrates the English language by exploring the rich treasure house of spelling in all its variety - setting tests and proposing rules, with illuminating quotations and tantalising lists Headrillaz and Misteeq; Naming Pop Groups; miniscule parallels; non-letters; the three-letter rule; Faeder ure pup e eart on heofunum; UK number plates; HipHop spelling; East Anglian place-names; the E-cancellation spelling test - these are just some of the intriguing subjects presented in this must-have, must-give little book.

Not a zero-tolerance guide, but a delightfully eclectic manual that gently guides the reader through the often infuriating vagaries of an evolving language. -- Michael Williams * Independent on Sunday *
Cook serves up a pleasantly diverting mish-mash of word-lists, puzzles, historical digressions and Private Eye-style howlers ... as a browsable treat for self or others, it will fit that stocking-shaped gap in the gift market very neatly. * Boyd Tonkin *

Vivian Cook has a Chair of Applied Linguistics at the University of Newcastle.