Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold Story of English (Hardcover) by John McWhorter

from kutsuwamushi

John McWhorter is one of the most successful popularizers of linguistics. He writes in an entertaining and accessible style, and makes passionate arguments for changing the way you view language. He does not write as in depth as some other popularizers, but on the other hand, he's a breeze to rea...

from akblanchard

Linguist John McWhorter makes his case that English is an oddball among Indo-European languages because it has absorbed so many unexpected grammatical influences, including Welsh, Cornish, and maybe even Phoenician. He presents himself as a renegade among serious students of language, and I am un...

from WildcatJF

McWhorter presents an intriguing case for the development of English grammar here in a mostly clear, concise style that makes this a joy to read. I did not realize the book was going to focus on grammar so heavily when I started it, but it was a pleasure to discover how wild a ride English gramma...

from Smiler69

McWhorter's short book is obviously aimed at the public at large and in the audio version at least, he is a narrator who is engaging and fun and obviously doesn't take himself too seriously, which kept me going even the more arduous bits (I've always had a hard time with grammar). He uncovers som...

from goodnightmoon

I looked forward to reading this book much more than I actually enjoyed reading it. I found McWhorter's tone odd, especially in the Celtic bits - like he was trying to dissuade me of a belief I never had. I just want to find out more about the history of English, man; I never doubted that English...