Not very useful

Owen Barfield's "History in English Words" is something of a disappointment. It's essentially a long-winding exposition on the origins of various English words, usually loan words. I suppose the point is to illustrate the evolution of consciousness, but I don't think Barfield manages to make the tie-in very persuasively or forcefully. The book could be interesting as philology 101, but it's hardly even Barfield 101!