Today we find ourselves in urgent need of new ways to treat each other and the world around us, but few people realize that new relationships, new values, and new ideals cannot take shape until we learn how to create words that can serve as vessels to hold these ideas.

This book is one contribution towards a toolkit of techniques for creating new words that bring the richness of language back into our lives. The text combines history, speculation, and tools; and consists of 76 sections arranged on the model of a nature walk through the language-making landscape of the English language.

Author David Lukas is a professional naturalist with a deep passion for language. He has spent decades walking the natural landscapes of the world thinking about and playing with the roots and elements of words. This unique book is an outgrowth of these wide-ranging explorations.