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jstaton's review
2.0
Okay it did get better - but the learning curve was painful! The final chapters were inspirational and I appreciate what the author had to say. I am often corrected by sticklers and it is annoying, sometimes it makes me want to stop speaking in mid sentence. I'm thankful for my friends and loved ones who enjoy my jodieisms and stick around to hear what I have to say.
By the way when I write, I use spell check and always ask someone else to look it over before I call it finished.
By the way when I write, I use spell check and always ask someone else to look it over before I call it finished.
ohevsfarim's review
2.0
I originally quite enjoyed this light book, but, as Mr Lane Greene started discarding references and making factually incorrect statements (e.g., Brest is the largest city in Brittany), I found myself doubting his other assertions and could no longer enjoy the read.
caitlin_89's review
4.0
The beginning chapters in which sticklers are scolded for their militant anger and rigid perceptions are the most interesting parts. The actual descriptions of language development and use in different countries was a little dry in parts. Overall, it as a really smart book, and I enjoyed the author's perspective and the enthusiasm with which he presented it.
nicospitsjive's review
4.0
very unique perspective of no typical polyglot; grateful to have read his views on the role culture, class, etc play in language.
zacmonday's review
4.0
One of the reviews of this book faults Greene for writing about linguistics without being a linguist. I don't find the same fault in the pages here. Certainly, this has the density one would expect from an Economist writer, but don't let that fool you.
As an English major and English teacher who has been thinking about these things for some time, the initial introduction to prescriptivism and descriptivism did much to act as a refresher for the topics and lay the foundation of the different global perspectives of the book.
From a historical understanding of the resurrection of Hebrew to the formation of modern Turkish (an subsequent distance from pre-1930 Turkish texts), I'm walking away from this book with much richer and deeper understanding of language and it's formation around the world.
Perhaps most helpful for me was Greene's clear love of language. If there were any impediment created by his lack of training as a linguist, his love of language makes up for it handily.
Reading about language from the perspective of one who is so clearly curious and in love with language shapes the book as a tool for infectious love of language.
If you're curious about language, read this. If you're passionate about language, read this. If you are hungry for a appropriately-dense text acting as a primer to understanding linguistics, read this. It's not a book for everyone, but it's definitely a book for those who love and are fascinated by language.
As an English major and English teacher who has been thinking about these things for some time, the initial introduction to prescriptivism and descriptivism did much to act as a refresher for the topics and lay the foundation of the different global perspectives of the book.
From a historical understanding of the resurrection of Hebrew to the formation of modern Turkish (an subsequent distance from pre-1930 Turkish texts), I'm walking away from this book with much richer and deeper understanding of language and it's formation around the world.
Perhaps most helpful for me was Greene's clear love of language. If there were any impediment created by his lack of training as a linguist, his love of language makes up for it handily.
Reading about language from the perspective of one who is so clearly curious and in love with language shapes the book as a tool for infectious love of language.
If you're curious about language, read this. If you're passionate about language, read this. If you are hungry for a appropriately-dense text acting as a primer to understanding linguistics, read this. It's not a book for everyone, but it's definitely a book for those who love and are fascinated by language.
triciareader2's review
Wonderful romp through the question of language(s), superiority and politics. Greene responds to fear-mongers who insist that we are being over-run by Spanish by noting the historical record; far more people spoke German, and there were far more German publications (pre-television) - pre-WWII, than there are Hispanics now. Like most other ethnic groups, while the first generation may only speak Spanish, by the second children speak English away from home, and in the third generation no-one speaks Spanish. It will be interesting to see if he is correct, but only time will tell. If only educators could be convinced that children who are multi-lingual are smarter, and encourage early adoption of multiple languages.
davidlz1's review
4.0
This was a very enlightening read. It was also a nice non-fiction read as those tend to be business oriented books or philosophy books for me. The author does an excellent job taking the reader through history and explaining the impact of language on many fronts. There were many fascinating points brought up in this book. It really paints history in a new light and explains a lot of current motivations.
shoelessmama's review
3.0
7/10. This would have been an 8/10 except that he lost me a bit in the middle. I agreed with the author on all of the stances I can think of before I picked this book up. What this book did for me, was to reaffirm my thoughts on language politically and historically but also to give me more concrete ideas backing up my beliefs. If I were in a conversation with someone about language before reading this book I would have had a harder time explaining my beliefs and backing them up. So, there's that. Hopefully the information sticks because it's doubtful I'll have that conversation in the next month.
mcclarty03's review
3.0
The book is an important book.
But, just as the author points out how forms of White Supremacy have led to “grammar sticklers” othering by weaponizing grammar rules the author himself inevitably falls into the same traps. For example, statements such as “European languages led the way to the world’s modernization.” How sway? When based on frameworks and paradigms that are being attributed to ancient cultures that inhabited what is now South Asia, Africa, Iran, Turkey, etc. what does that even mean? Using whose resources? According to whose metric?
He also makes mention of English being preeminent and opted for throughout South Africa. Which conflates, for me, preeminence with domination and the natural consequences of colonization.
So there are moments where I really appreciate his attempt at highlighting injustice. And I want to rate the book highly. Yet, others where I’m frustrated by the incongruence with what he says and how he speaks of “European language.” The book in highlighting White Supremacy (he doesn’t go that deep or use that specific language) also engages heavily in it. The reason for the three.
Still, conceptually it’s an important topic. I hope to find something similar by someone with intersectionalities that allow them to pick up on more of these nuances.
But, just as the author points out how forms of White Supremacy have led to “grammar sticklers” othering by weaponizing grammar rules the author himself inevitably falls into the same traps. For example, statements such as “European languages led the way to the world’s modernization.” How sway? When based on frameworks and paradigms that are being attributed to ancient cultures that inhabited what is now South Asia, Africa, Iran, Turkey, etc. what does that even mean? Using whose resources? According to whose metric?
He also makes mention of English being preeminent and opted for throughout South Africa. Which conflates, for me, preeminence with domination and the natural consequences of colonization.
So there are moments where I really appreciate his attempt at highlighting injustice. And I want to rate the book highly. Yet, others where I’m frustrated by the incongruence with what he says and how he speaks of “European language.” The book in highlighting White Supremacy (he doesn’t go that deep or use that specific language) also engages heavily in it. The reason for the three.
Still, conceptually it’s an important topic. I hope to find something similar by someone with intersectionalities that allow them to pick up on more of these nuances.
katiecoops's review
3.0
This is a departure from what I normally read - YA contemporary - but I do find language fascinating. I read Steven Pinker's The Stuff of Thought for fun in college, along with various other language and grammar books required in my courses, includig Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots, and Leaves which is mentioned several times in this book. I thought there was little too much history and I'll admit to skimming about 10 pages of middle eastern history. I would definitely consider myself more of a prescriptivist than a descriptivist and I am guilty of enforcing some of the more dubious "rules" denounced in You Are What You Speak. This book changed my mind on several issues and helped me see that it's almost impossible to have a perfectly correct language since it's constantly changing. There are some things I'll always stick to, but this book showed me that it's really quite pointless and even wrong to be such a grammar stickler about rules and usages that are changing and evolving. One thing I found interesting was the changing definition of "nonplussed", which I always took to mean as confused or bewildered. I know the meaning is shifting to mean not bothered, but it's confusing when it's written in a book. I remember reading a novel that used nonplussed to describe someone's reaction but I couldn't tell from the context which definition the author was using. I understand change, but at some point clarity is lost in the shift. I enjoyed reading this, I just wish it had a little less world history and a little more English usage information.