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steveinadelaide's review
3.0
I loved the first few chapters of this book where the author critiques the Stickler approach to language. However, as the book progresses, it seemed to me to get bogged down with one issue around language and nationalism and became too detailed and repetitive. I guess, overall, it covered the issues mentioned in the book title. But, for me, it became increasingly boring as the book progressed. I skimmed the last few chapters.
stevereally's review
3.0
Everything he discusses here ties together ultimately, but the topics of the various chapters are different enough that some are really more interesting than others.
It's certainly an important source of perspective, if you, like I, have a tendency to want to correct people's spelling, grammar, and usage.
If you care much at all about language, you should check this out. You probably won't find all of it compelling, but you'll probably find at least some parts of it edifying, entertaining, or both.
It's certainly an important source of perspective, if you, like I, have a tendency to want to correct people's spelling, grammar, and usage.
If you care much at all about language, you should check this out. You probably won't find all of it compelling, but you'll probably find at least some parts of it edifying, entertaining, or both.
al_villanueva's review
5.0
this book is about more than just language. Starting with English and moving into French, German and smaller varieties, it covers cultural topics along with history and political trends at an accelerating pace. Robert Green offers then an excellent overview of how language is at the very root of our daily lives while bringing several examples that make the reading as pleasant and quotable in future conversations as it can be.
dasani's review
1.0
I had high hopes for this but it didn't meet my expectations and I didn't get all the way through. I didn't need to read a rally against prescriptivism because I already agreed and it wasn't giving me new information or a new way of looking at things, and I wasn't enjoying it enough to find out if the book ended up becoming something I liked better.
a_mo_zing's review
4.0
This one took me a long, loooong time to read and I'm so happy I finished it! It's an immensely interesting, funny, poignant book about the intersection(s) of language and identity. I want to read twenty more books by Lane Greene!
miss_tricia's review
3.0
This book is dedicated largely to debunking some of the most common things we all "know" about language. For example, everyone is clear that English is in a state of terrible decline in the modern era. But nope, people have been saying that since there was a written record of English. English is constantly changing, and that continues to be true. All languages change, but change isn't the same thing as decline.
Another good one: if there isn't a word for something in your language, you can't think it. No, the way your language is structured inclines you to think in particular ways, but doesn't actually prevent you from thinking in other ways or about other things. (Example: In Indonesia, words for for self-reliance have negative connotations, but that doesn't mean Indonesians are incapable of understanding that in the US self-reliance is considered a positive trait.)
Greene also talks about "code switching," which is the fancy linguistics way of saying people use different dialects or languages for different situations. There are many people in the world who, for example, use one dialect at home and with friends and another dialect or language at the office. He works to clarify the Ebonics debate by describing the features of Black English that make it a distinct dialect, and then laying out the case for first teaching children to write in their home dialect and later teaching them to write in the standard language of academics and business, which is the model used in much of Europe.
There lots of fun facts and interesting tidbits scattered throughout the book. Greene's writing has a fairly straight-forward style with a bit of wit. If you have any interest in language or linguistics, I'd definitely recommend this book.
Another good one: if there isn't a word for something in your language, you can't think it. No, the way your language is structured inclines you to think in particular ways, but doesn't actually prevent you from thinking in other ways or about other things. (Example: In Indonesia, words for for self-reliance have negative connotations, but that doesn't mean Indonesians are incapable of understanding that in the US self-reliance is considered a positive trait.)
Greene also talks about "code switching," which is the fancy linguistics way of saying people use different dialects or languages for different situations. There are many people in the world who, for example, use one dialect at home and with friends and another dialect or language at the office. He works to clarify the Ebonics debate by describing the features of Black English that make it a distinct dialect, and then laying out the case for first teaching children to write in their home dialect and later teaching them to write in the standard language of academics and business, which is the model used in much of Europe.
There lots of fun facts and interesting tidbits scattered throughout the book. Greene's writing has a fairly straight-forward style with a bit of wit. If you have any interest in language or linguistics, I'd definitely recommend this book.
eileeen's review against another edition
5.0
As a linguist, I think we generally do a poor job of explaining our obsession with language to the general public. I wish this book was required reading, especially for anyone who has ever complained about a language deteriorating because of those darn young people.
Most books about language by journalists are frustratingly bad and filled with inaccuracies, but this is very well done. I'll definitely be recommending it to others.
Most books about language by journalists are frustratingly bad and filled with inaccuracies, but this is very well done. I'll definitely be recommending it to others.
patricklyw's review against another edition
4.0
Incredibly well written without ever resorting to jargon, and not in the 'stupefyingly simple' way that turn of phrase usually means. Best case for language as a living, breathing thing that I've read for a long while, and if you want a gateway book into the study of linguistics you could do a lot worse than this effort.