In Defense of Common English. "Such is the dilemma of the linguist, or at least the linguist who has any desire to reach anyone outside their — excuse me, his or her — discipline. A sizable group of people is partial to attending discussions and reading books about language. But what this group wants to hear is antithetical to what scholars of this subject want to say."
The following quote from the article caught my attention: "the prohibition against it [the singular use of they] was the legacy of a small group of nitpickers who, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, basically invented a bunch of usage rules that unaccountably persist."
Can anyone recommend a book that covers this subject in an enjoyable, layman fashion?
Do you mean a book to convince those who oppose language changes?
I suggest vol 1 of the OED. Attach it to a two-by-four and swing for the forehead. I'm afraid that these folk are resistant to more scholarly approaches.
That should cover the topic and it certainly would be enjoyable to both layman and scholar alike. Of course, enjoyment depends on which end of the stick you engage with.
I want to read a riveting story about the nitpickers who invented all those silly rules! I want to know what they did to English, and why, and how they went about indoctrinating the new rules on the general population.
I don't know of any such book. It is a great idea for one. If I were to research and write it I have the likely title: I AM Right, Aren't I?