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The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus Audiobook
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(3.00) - 373 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Peter Mark Roget—polymath, eccentric, and synonym aficionado—was a complicated man. He was an eminent scholar who absorbed himself in his work, yet he also possessed an allure that endeared him to his mentors and colleagues—not to mention a host of female admirers. But, most notably, Roget made lists.
From the age of eight, Roget kept these lists with the intention of ordering the chaotic world around him. After his father's death, his mother became overbearing and despondent. Soon, his sister also descended into mental illness. Despite these tragedies, Roget lived a colorful life full of unexpected twists and discoveries—including narrowly avoiding jail in Napoleon's France, assisting famed physician Thomas Beddoes by personally testing the effects of laughing gas, and inventing the slide rule.
Evocative and entertaining, The Man Who Made Lists lets readers join Roget on his worldly adventures and emotional journeys. This rich narrative explores the power of words and the everlasting legacy of a rediscovered genius.
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"Roget lives when you read this book; and to think before I read it, I never knew his name other than the 'name on the thesaurus', every writer's best friend. His story is compelling and human, Kendall writes beautifully. I should add that I 'listened' to the audiobook version of this book. "
— djgalvan (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Brisk and vivid
— Los Angeles Times
The Man Who Made Lists Listener Reviews
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" Rarely do I not finish a book. I just couldn't work up the enthusiasm for Mr. Roget. At least I learned that I've been pronouncing his name wrong for the last 20+ years. "
— Shannon, 2/16/2014 -
" Read by Jushua Kendall "
— Pithee, 2/11/2014 -
" The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall (2008) "
— Tom, 2/10/2014 -
" As someone who loves lists and the thesaurus...gave great insight into the thinking of a brilliant man who did not get his due until now. "
— Jennifer, 1/31/2014 -
" This was a very enjoyable book. If you like history and learning about the lives of famous people this is for you. I also think that Roget may have been a little autistic, definitely had OCD. "
— Tobi, 1/26/2014 -
" Pretty dry read about the guy who created Roget's Thesaurus. Read this book because the author did a great job with the invention of the guy who created the dictionary Merriam Webster. "
— Vincent, 1/18/2014 -
" A very good book. I loved finding out all the stuff I didn't know about Roget, of which there was much! I recommend. "
— Jennifer, 1/10/2014 -
" This book is an interesting foray into the world of professionals in England in the early to mid 1800s. It does seem to spend too much time trying to determine why Roget created his Thesaurus rather than going into more detail about the reference work itself. "
— Terry, 1/9/2014 -
" Interesting information but author does a lot of extrapolation of the information he has making me question the validity of what he says. "
— Rebecca, 1/7/2014 -
" Suffers from the titanic complex - know how it ends - he writes the book. However, who knew he was such an interesting character. Needed more focus on him personally versus the other "cool" people in his life. "
— Lauren, 12/14/2013 -
" I don't put books down in the middle...seriously, but I couldn't get past page 66. I love books like this, but this one is in need of editing. "
— Dawn, 9/1/2012 -
" I thought I would love this book as I love words, dictionaries,thesarus etc. but I was disappointed. Although there are psychological explanations given for Roget's passion the book was not coherent and failed to interest me. "
— Alina, 5/9/2012 -
" Anyone who has an appreciation for descriptive expression and is somewhat articulate will really appreciate Roget's story. "
— Melissa, 4/30/2012 -
" Curious story of the life of Peter Mark Roget. Yeah, the Thesaurus guy. A psychiatrist's dream, it seems. Completely enjoying it. "
— Pearl, 10/5/2011 -
" Reading Roget's actual thesaurus is far more interesting than this book that contained almost no actual bizarre facts and stories that I thought it would. "
— Regina, 9/17/2011 -
" An interesting but sometimes dry story of Peter Mark Roget. I found the historical setting interesting and I learned a great deal about the history of science along with world history. And Roget wasn't a grandfather until he was 89. "
— Denise, 11/17/2010 -
" As someone who loves lists and the thesaurus...gave great insight into the thinking of a brilliant man who did not get his due until now. "
— Jennifer, 9/27/2010 -
" Curious story of the life of Peter Mark Roget. Yeah, the Thesaurus guy. A psychiatrist's dream, it seems. Completely enjoying it. "
— Pearl, 9/8/2010 -
" It is just so boring! I want to get to some kind of story but the author has a writing disability or something. I quit. "
— Eliana, 3/6/2010 -
" I read this because my thesaurus is one of my favorite books. It's a bit tiresome to read; it's basically a biography of Roget. Fascinating, though, was his childhood obsession with compiling lists, which lasted his entire life. "
— Michelle, 2/26/2010 -
" Like so many biographies, this book is one the dry side, but the information is fascinating. I certainly knew nothing about Roget and, as it turns out, he was a pretty interesting character. I give this book a 3 for compelling reading and a 4 for interesting content. "
— Kaye, 1/19/2010 -
" The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall (2008) "
— Tom, 12/15/2009
About Joshua Kendall
Joshua C. Kendall is the author of The Man Who Made Lists, about the creation of Roget’s Thesaurus, and The Forgotten Founding Father, a biography of Noah Webster, the lexicographer responsible for Webster’s Dictionary. He is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Psychology Today, and BusinessWeek, among others. He is currently an associate fellow of Yale University’s Trumbull College.
About Stephen Hoye
Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.