I was hoping for a discussion/examination of the social history of spelling, but this wasn't it. Most of the basis for the book is a survey the author conducted in Parade magazine, and a pseudo-scientific examination of the survey results. While the author mentions that the results were self-reported and therefore not really reliable, she still bases the majority of the book on the flawed data. There are a few chapters full of quotes and examination of other people's research as it supports her survey data, and then some coverage on tips for improving spelling. I feel like this was a waste of my time; never a good way to leave a book. ( )