The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language

I really loved this book, and am dismayed by those who decry it. Come on! McWhorter's writing is excellent and challenging. What do some people expect? Sentences that are three words long? I liked his ideas, I liked his exposition, I liked his cute little anecdotes, side-stories, and witty observations. I even loved his chapter titles and subtitles.He confirms what I've long suspected, that a lot of this "garbage" (which he calls "dammits") that we have to learn in many language such as Latin and German are mere bells and whistles, senseless accretions that do not help communication. McWhorter's use of creoles and pidgins to make his points, all the way up to the very end with his speculations on the very first language, were thrilling! I learned so much that I never got elsewhere.Moreover, McWhorter doesn't rely on English too much, though he doesn't completely ignore it, either. It is fun to be challenged to go outside of our own language, even outside the Indo-European family, in order to learn linguistic points. Bravo!Now I must say that I found one interesting mistake. On page 186 he gives the gender of the German eating utensils incorrectly. It is "die Gabel," "der Loeffel," not the other way around. Much later he gets Gabel correct (p. 229). No big deal. In fact, I thought maybe he was trying to make a point of the mistake by saying, "See how senseless genders really are?" Oh well. I didn't find any other mistakes though I only know Indo-European stuff, and have no clue about Native American languages or Chinese or elsewhere.But this was a fabulous book that I intend to read again and maybe a third time. Thank you, Professor McWhorter!!!

The most amazing and influential book in my life

I purchased the paperback edition and it was as I expected in terms of quality. I also enjoyed the book itself. Some of the sections on creoles are a bit long however that is the specialization of the author so it should come as no surprise. The author provides ample examples of how languages change over time and explains that in fact languages don't really exist, there are just dialects. The book was written for laymen so those with an interest in linguistics but without any background in it should find the book approachable. The only thing I didn't really like about the book is that the author is an American and he includes so many inside jokes and and pop cultural references that it seems it is really targeted at an American audience which is unfortunate as it's not quite so accessible to a non-English/non-American audience.

(exposition why I left this review) As a young x-generation techie-trekkie incognito, one of my passions was language; of course no one else shared my interest. Mine was **not** an intellectual family; so I spent my very early morning hours reading about linguistics - even the forbidden area of auxiliary languages.My unseen mentor became Mario Pei, who understood as I did that a true master of any craft can teach complex concepts with imaginative simplicity and metaphor without any condescension of superiority.It is frustrating when you discover someone like John McWhorter: a person I wish to have met in youth since he shared all my interests.Nonetheless, as Carl Sagan made science entertaining and accessible - a role now fulfilled by Neil deGrasse Tyson - John McWhorter (in my opinion) is the perfect successor after the loss of Mario Pei. He does not adhere to the orthodoxy of the intelligentsia (1st person I read who agreed with the Celtic influence on English and the importance of slang and creoles).His personality engages the listener with a self-deprecating humor, charming and funny. The best review I might leave is that I hope his legacy is as respected as Mr. Pei's.

I'll admit I have always had an interest in letters, words and language. When I am asked what languages I know, I usually answer English plus 4 years of Latin and a little Spanish.As you read on, the author discusses what we laymen call dialects. It is fascinating to read on about how languages develop. Being born an English speaker, I am always very well aware that we are not linguistic snobs. If we find a better word for something, we include it in our vocabulary. For example, blitzkrieg, and tsunami. However, my favorite example is the word "gross". Unitl one summer when my girls came home from camp, gross meant 12 dozen. But that summer they came home using the word "gross" as meaning disgusting. And so it goes. Reading The Power of Babel,enables you to realize that language is not a static entity. Whatever language you customarily speak, remember it is in constant flux.In addition, his discussion of written versus oral language is an eye opener. I learned that many many languages do not have a written equivalent. And the effect of it on language development or lack thereof is fascinating.