I loved this book！ Words and their origins have always been a fascinating subject to me。 So to have one focused on swear words was perfect。 McWhorter focuses on nine big curse words （damn/hell， f**k， s**t。 a$$， 2 words that describe genitalia， n-word， the other f-word， and b***h） to separate each chapter and delves into what made them bad and where they possibly came from。 He also looks at societal changes as how words evolved from normal to taboo and vice-versa。 There was a lot I didn't know a I loved this book！ Words and their origins have always been a fascinating subject to me。 So to have one focused on swear words was perfect。 McWhorter focuses on nine big curse words （damn/hell， f**k， s**t。 a$$， 2 words that describe genitalia， n-word， the other f-word， and b***h） to separate each chapter and delves into what made them bad and where they possibly came from。 He also looks at societal changes as how words evolved from normal to taboo and vice-versa。 There was a lot I didn't know and the facts he lays out are eye-opening， giving a peek into the darker parts of history you'd never learn in school。 It also makes me look great in parties， spouting off fun facts。 :） Despite the heavy topics that come up from these nine nasty words， McWhorter's writing is approachable and lighthearted， poking fun at history and alleviating the awkwardness that comes with talking about certain words。 When he discusses his most controversial word （the n-word）， he does so with keen awareness that he addresses directly on page one of that chapter。 He knows this word sparks uneasy feelings， but also knows it's important to understand where it came from and where it might be going next based on sociological clues。 I think any reader who has used at least half the words on the list will enjoy learning about how that word entered their vocabulary。 **Read thanks to an ARC from Avery** 。。。more