Okay, let's get this out of the way: there is no plot. This is not that kind of book. 'Section S' is exactly what it says on the tin—the 'S' section from a historical dictionary. It's a list, from 'S' to 'Szy,' of every word Webster and his team thought was important in 1913. You open it and are immediately plunged into a sea of 'Sabbath,' 'sable,' and 'sabotage.'

Why You Should Read It

Reading this feels like time travel. You see what mattered to people back then. There are incredibly detailed entries for horse-drawn carriages and farming tools, while early tech terms get a brief mention. The definitions themselves are little pieces of opinion and history. You can feel Webster's personality—his attempts to standardize American English, his occasional dry humor. It's also accidentally funny. Try reading fifty definitions for different types of 'saws' in a row and not cracking a smile. It makes you appreciate how messy, specific, and alive language really is.

Final Verdict

This is not for everyone. If you want a gripping narrative, look elsewhere. But if you're a word nerd, a history lover, or just someone who enjoys odd, quiet books, give it a look. It's perfect for dipping into for ten minutes at a time, discovering forgotten words, and marveling at the sheer ambition of trying to capture a language in a book. Think of it less as a reference and more as a museum you can wander through.