The author weaves personal and historical anecdotes throughout the text using well-known entertainers and scholars (Jew and non-Jew) to draw readers into the story. Part scholarly work, part first-person narration, the book will have readers racing for the dictionary one minute and giggling at funny stories the next. Rather than a smooth flowing progression, The Story of Yiddish jumps around between different chapters and even within chapters, so that readers are never quite sure what to expect in the next paragraph. While entertaining and interesting, the book is its own "Mish-Mosh" of information, anecdotes, and narration.

For "der yidn" (Jews) and "der goyim" (gentiles or non-Jews) interested in how languages reflect culture, this book provides plenty of insight. End notes and bibliography provide additional information for students and scholars.