How Language Works - Softcover

Crystal, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0141037369 ISBN 13: 9780141037363

Publisher: Penguin, 2008

Synopsis

In this fascinating survey of everything from how sounds become speech to how names work, David Crystal answers every question you might ever have had about the nuts and bolts of language in his usual highly illuminating way. Along the way we find out about eyebrow flashes, whistling languages, how parents teach their children to speak, how politeness travels across languages and how the way we talk show not just how old we are but where we’re from and even who we want to be.

About this title

Review

"An impeccably organized guide to language ... sure to become a standard reference."

"An invigorating plunge ... A crash course in linguistics, covering spoken, written, and sign language ... The book will prove, to language geeks, invaluable."

"[Crystal] succeeds again and again with clarity, wit, and enthusiasm .... Time and again a point is made and illustrated with a fact or anecdote that perfectly drives it home....It is marvelous ride."

[Crystal] succeeds again and again with clarity, wit, and enthusiasm. . . . Time and again a point is made and illustrated with a fact or anecdote that perfectly drives it home. . . . It is a marvelous ride.
"The New York Times"
An invigorating plunge . . . A crash course in linguistics, covering spoken, written, and sign language . . . The book will prove, to language geeks, invaluable.
"The San Diego Union-Tribune"
An impeccably organized guide to language . . . sure to become a standard reference.
"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)

A a[Crystal] succeeds again and again with clarity, wit, and enthusiasm. . . . Time and again a point is made and illustrated with a fact or anecdote that perfectly drives it home. . . . It is a marvelous ride.a
a"The New York Times"
A aAn invigorating plunge . . . A crash course in linguistics, covering spoken, written, and sign language . . . The book will prove, to language geeks, invaluable.a
a"The San Diego Union-Tribune"
A aAn impeccably organized guide to language . . . sure to become a standard reference.a
a"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)

? ?[Crystal] succeeds again and again with clarity, wit, and enthusiasm. . . . Time and again a point is made and illustrated with a fact or anecdote that perfectly drives it home. . . . It is a marvelous ride.?
?"The New York Times"

? ?An invigorating plunge . . . A crash course in linguistics, covering spoken, written, and sign language . . . The book will prove, to language geeks, invaluable.?
?"The San Diego Union-Tribune"

? ?An impeccably organized guide to language . . . sure to become a standard reference.?
?"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)

Synopsis

David Crystal's How Language Works is a fascinating tour through the world of language from one of today's most renowned experts. It ranges over everything from how children learn to read to what makes words rude or polite, from eyebrow flashes to whistling languages. Unlocking the secrets of communication in an accessible, entertaining way, this exhilarating book sheds light on the endless mysteries of the language we speak, write and read every day.

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0141037369
• ISBN 13: 9780141037363
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 512