{"product_id":"an-admirable-point-a-brief-history-of-the-exclamation-mark-9781567927870","title":"An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark!","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Splendid exploration\"--\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFew punctuation marks elicit quite as much love or hate as the exclamation mark. It's bubbly and exuberant, an emotional amplifier whose flamboyantly dramatic gesture lets the reader know: here be feelings! Scott Fitzgerald famously stated exclamation marks are like laughing at your own joke; Terry Pratchett had a character say that multiple !!! are a 'sure sign of a diseased mind'. So what's the deal with ! ? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhether you think it's over-used, or enthusiastically sprinkle your writing with it, ! is inescapable. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAn Admirable Point\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e recuperates the exclamation mark from its much maligned place at the bottom of the punctuation hierarchy. It explores how ! came about in the first place some six hundred years ago, and uncovers the many ways in which ! has left its mark on art, literature, (pop) culture, and just about any sphere of human activity--from Beowulf to spam emails, ee cummings to neuroscience.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"David R. Godine Publisher","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50647310532882,"sku":"9781567927870","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_cb2c9f52-a9b1-43fc-9b9f-d243bfe0f6e8.jpg?v=1733201335","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/an-admirable-point-a-brief-history-of-the-exclamation-mark-9781567927870","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}