Thanks so much for bringing this book to my attention -- I just ordered a copy for my husband, who is an absolute fanatic about Indo-European roots.
This is obviously not the place to defend such an approach, which for him is more of a spiritual matter than academic anyway. My interest is in getting him to learn some Greek, so when we're in our little Bible Study group he'll look up the Indo-European root of the Greek word in addition to whichever English word (translation) seems to predominate in our discussion. He has a Greek interlinear which he uses a bit; maybe the prospect of Indo-European roots of the Greek words will help him learn more Greek.

Apparently he's not the only one interested in these roots; the American Heritage Dictionary quit including their Indo-European Roots appendix for awhile in the 1980's or early 90s. I bought a new AHD in shrink wrap in about 1993 and was unpleasantly surprised not to find my/our most-used section. So I wrote to the publishers (this was pre-internet, pre-email) and heard back that they were shocked at the level of consternation from their customers who protested their having deleted the appendix. They sent me an addendum that they'd put together (pamphlet-thickness) with what would have been the Indo-European Roots appendix to the new dictionary I had bought. A few years ago I picked up a current American Heritage Dictionary and they had restored not only an updated Indo-European Roots appendix but also added a Semitic Roots appendix.
Anyway, when I first met my husband, I mistakenly thought that he thought that English words "really mean" their Indo-European root. I was well aware that mentioning etymology in academic biblical studies circle was a dangerous matter. However, what in fact he believes/experiences is a thread of meaning that extends from the root to its various descendants, analogous to human ancestry. And I'm hoping to help him pick up the thread not only of the English but the Greek, as we study Scripture in small groups with folks who know no Greek and who don't carry around a big fat dictionary.
Thanks!!
Susan Jeffers
PS I wish I could be at SBL for the "nerd-fest" as someone called it elsewhere

Maybe next year in Chicago...