I’m going to thank my editor at Running Press, Jess Riordan, first. I thank Jess for believing in this book from first look through to publication, and for her patience during my hesitations. Jess, I appreciate you for helping me to pare down the manuscript into a book that’s both more easily digestible and more easily applied to real life. I also appreciate Running Press’ editorial director Jennifer Kasius and copyeditor Diana Drew for her final tweaks and suggestions to ensure every sentence in Word Wise was as unambiguous and reader-friendly as possible.
Special thanks also to my editor and friend, Keren Baltzer. Because, without her, this book wouldn’t have been nearly as readable or had nearly as much depth—no matter how much word trash I dropped or word power I included. Thank you, Keren. I appreciate you for your patience and persistence with me, for staying true to your word, and for the guidance you offered me on this path to publication.
This book would also not have been possible without the support of Dr. Brad Blanton, IMHO the world’s #1 authority on honesty—a guru, psychotherapist legend (and former US Senate candidate)—who taught me that honesty is much more than not telling lies, but often lies in every word choice we make. Those eight days in Greece were some of the first steps on my own path to connecting well. Brad, I appreciate you for your insight-filled suggestions that helped shape the final draft of this book.
Thanks to my über-critic friend Mark Seddon, who provided me with notes I used to improve almost every page in the manuscript. Lubna Shamsi, Yesenia Capalbo, Fiona Fong, Jharonne Martis: I appreciate you for your criticism and suggestions on what to cut (mostly the words of my ego) as well as your encouragement in the book’s early days. Morganna Nickoff, I appreciate you for your creative direction, cover design, marketing advice, and not least for your friendship. And to my parents: I wouldn’t be writing this book today if you hadn’t saved me from myself only a few years ago.
To all the New York–based speech-language pathologists (SLPs), thank you for listening to me and providing me with your word-usage scores—and special thanks to SLP Jean Marie Gunshanan for your comments on the book. Dr. Donia Fahim, I appreciate you for your encouragement and support, and for inviting me to be a guest speaker in your classes. To Jon Orwant at Google (creator of Ngram), thank you for responding to my messages and guiding me away from statistical ignorance.
Thanks also to everyone who read advance copies of the book and provided comments, encouragement, and support: Michelle Gielan, Max Stossel, Adam Smiley Poswolsky, Francisca Garcia, Davy Luscombe, Neslihan Kiraz, Kate Riordan, and Thérèse Rein.
Johann Hari, your research and writing on connection, disconnection, addiction and depression were and are an inspiration to me.
To M.M., you have refreshed my spirit in the months that led up to this book’s completion at a time when words were the only safe way for us to connect.
Finally, to G.M., I didn’t know what the word home meant until I found its meaning in you.