I’m a word nerd, so I’ve been waiting for Gretchen McCulloch’s Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. McCulloch treats internet slang like something fascinating and fun, rather than something alarming, and her enthusiasm for quirky spelling, acronyms and emojis is contagious. She takes us back to the early days of the internet, when only the really dedicated nerds were using it, and gives a quick history of how it spread to the masses, how the different generations adapted to it, and how casual written communication changed as it went along. She also gives a pretty comprehensive overview of generational differences in texting and social media -- so if you’ve ever felt like you just don’t understand your kid’s texts, or your mom’s Facebook posts, this might just help. Because Internet is fun, breezy, and remarkably informative, and it has emojis in the text, it’s pretty much perfect.