I know what you mean -- I fortunately started it with basically no hype or even prior knowledge! I'd heard about it some time ago and put it on my wishlist, and by the time I got it for Christmas I'd completely forgotten everything I'd heard about it.
Yeah, the podcast Lexicon Valley is how I heard about it. The podcast and the book are similar enough in tone that I think if you like one you'd probably like the other. I've enjoyed all the episodes that McWhorter has hosted, which he began around June 2016. I think my favourites were "Billy and me went to the store" (it satisfied my inner anti-grammar pedant) and the one about nursery rhymes -- though that one might not be as good if you aren't familiar with American English nursery rhymes.
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Yeah, the podcast Lexicon Valley is how I heard about it. The podcast and the book are similar enough in tone that I think if you like one you'd probably like the other. I've enjoyed all the episodes that McWhorter has hosted, which he began around June 2016. I think my favourites were "Billy and me went to the store" (it satisfied my inner anti-grammar pedant) and the one about nursery rhymes -- though that one might not be as good if you aren't familiar with American English nursery rhymes.