It is riddled with mistakes and inappropriate examples about various languages. Language, never forget, is more fashion than science, and matters of usage, spelling and pronunciation tend to wander around like hemlines. Mother tongue was published by penguin books in 1990, the third book in bill brysons short ish history of book writing. Bill bryson s bestselling books include one summer, a short history of nearly everything, at home, a walk in the woods, neither here nor there, made in america, and the mother tongue. Bill bryson audio books bill bryson is the new york times bestselling author of at home, a walk in the woods, the lost continent, made in america, the mother tongue, a short history of nearly everything winner of the aventis prizeand various other works. Bill bryson covers language its self with a focus on english. The book discusses the indoeuropean origins of english, the growing status of english as a global language, the complex etymology of english. English, like spanish and portuguese, is a language that has two closely linked forms, one in the old world, one in the new. English and how it got that way audiobook by bill bryson. With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bill brysonthe acclaimed author of the lost continentbrilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the english language. Born in des moines, iowa, he now lives in england, where he has worked for both the times and independent and written for most other major. Instead, a gentle humor, enamored of oddities, warms his discussion of the origins of english, its. Read the mother tongue online by bill bryson books free 30. The book is engaging, funny and full of lighthearted trivia.
A guide for occupants by bill bryson is a wellresearched users manual for anyone interested in how our bodies function. Bryson s statements in the book, language is more fashion than science. Born in des moines, iowa, he now lives in england, where he has worked for both the times and independent and written for. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat why you can talk but your dog cant, to the fine lost art of swearing, bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an. Bill bryson is the bestselling author of at home, a walk in the woods, the lost continent, made in america, the mother tongue, and a short history of nearly everything, winner of the aventis prize. I bought this book as im a fan of bill brysons writing and i find language an interesting subject. I am a big bill bryson fan, i often say that the guy can write about anything and make it interesting. And, of course, we also have the opportunity to enjoy the bryson wit. With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bill bryson the acclaimed author of the lost continentbrilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the english language. Bill bryson is known for his acerbic wit and sarcastic sense of humor. Jul 17, 1990 the mother tongue is the story of the evolution of the english language, from its humble beginnings as a germanic tongue to what it has evolved into over the centuries.
Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile. Bill bryson, bestselling author of the mother tongue, now celebrates its magnificent offspring in the book that reveals once and for all how a dusty western hamlet with neither woods nor holly came to be known as hollywood. The mother tongue isbn 0380715430 is a book by bill bryson which compiles the history and origins of the english language and its various quirks. His books on the english language include mother tongue and troublesome words, both published by penguin. Oct 23, 2001 with dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bill brysonthe acclaimed author of the lost continentbrilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the english language. Bill bryson is the new york times bestselling author of at home, a walk in the woods, the lost continent, made in america,the mother tongue, a short history of nearly everything winner of the aventis prize and various other works. The mother tongue the mother tongue audiobook, by bill bryson. Bill bryson was born in des moines, iowa, and grew up there, but has spent most of his adult life in britain. Originally posted by bill bryson in the mother tongue, p. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat why you can talk but your dog cant, to the fine lost art of swearing, bryson. There is a word to describe the state of being a woman.
Bill brysons bestselling travel books include the lost continent and notes from a small island, which in a national poll was voted the book that best represents britain. He does go into early languages, then settles on english as the closest thing we have today to a universal language. Where words come from if you have a morbid fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth, there is a word for it. When it comes to his audio books most of which he reads himself be prepared for a great time as bryson guides you through some of the most interesting places in. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat why you can talk but your dog cant, to the fine lost art of swearing, bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of.
Born in des moines, iowa, bryson lives in england with his wife and children. If you find the tape version, you will want to play the tape over again as it cruses through many concepts that leave you thinking and speculating how it. Instead, a gentle humor, enamored of oddities, warms his discussion of the origins of english. His books on the english language include mother tongue and troublesome words, both published by penguin bill bryson is the author of several bestsellers including the lost. Probably better known for his travel books, bryson has also written three books about the english language, mother tongue being the first. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Bill bryson is an american journalist who has lived for long periods in england, which means that he is in a good position to write a book about english that takes account of both versions and the subtle and notsosubtle differences between them, which is what he has done in this book. The two are quite different, as is pointed out several times in the book. Its the sort of book that fills your head with all sorts of random trivia that must be shared at the next watercooler conversation or over ones next meal. He does go into early languages, then settles on english as the closest thing we have today to a. The mother tongue audiobook by bill bryson 9780062458537. That is the bottom line, or the more ethereal learning from the book.
From the first descent of the larynx into the throat why you can talk but your dog cant, to the fine lost art of swearing, bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious. Too bad even bill bryson couldnt make this terribly entertaining. A lot of it i already knew, but there were some insights included in the book which still made it a goldmine for me to read about the language we use so universally. I was frequently laughing outloud while reading the mother tongue not to mention muttering words under my breath to hear the pronunciation points that bryson was making. Born in des moines, iowa, he now lives in england with his wife and children. He got a job at a psychiatric hospital in england, where he met a nurse there. Another travel book, a walk in the woods, has become a major film starring robert redford, nick nolte and emma thompson. Complete order of bill bryson books in publication order and chronological order. The mother tongue chapter 5 where words come from summary. I was shocked and disappointed after reading the first chapter of the mother tongue. Bill bryson is the new york times bestselling author of at home, a walk in the woods, the lost continent, made in america, the mother tongue, a short history of nearly everythingwinner of the aventis prizeand various other works. American expatriate to britain bryson proves a witty and knowing guide here, with scarcely a trace of the sneer that spoiled his popular tour of smalltown america, the lost continent 1989.
I absolutely love bill bryson books and i especially love listening to the audio versions when he narrates as he did here but the second book i could have done without. Includes bibliographical references published by arrangement with william morrow and company, inc the worlds language the dawn of language global language the first thousand years where words come from pronunciation varieties of english spelling good english and bad order out of chaos old world, new world english as a world. Although amazon lists a 2015 publication date for the kindle edition, this is clearly a much older book most of the references and examples seem to be no more recent than the mid80s and seems to be. Dec 15, 2015 with dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bill brysonthe acclaimed author of the lost continentbrilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the english language. Quicklet on bill brysons the mother tongue english and. With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bill brysonthe acc.
Bill brysons mother tongue was a interesting, and in parts a humorous read. His new number one sunday times bestseller is the road to little dribbling more. After nearly 2 decades in britain, bill bryson, the acclaimed author of such best sellers as the mother tongue, made in america, and a walk in the woods, decided it was time to move back to the united states for a while. English and how it got that way, bill bryson guides us through the complicated history of the english language to figure out why it is the way it is. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Bill brysons bestselling books include a walk in the woods, the life and times of the thunderbolt kid, and a short history of nearly everything which won the aventis prize in britain and the descartes prize, the european unions highest literary. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. The mother tongue chapter 2 the dawn of language summary. He attended drake university but dropped out after two years and went backpacking in europe. Bill bryson s classic mother tongue is a highly readable and hilarious tale of how english came to be the worlds language. This is a field trip through the human body and i was astounded at the level of research needed to write such a book.
A short history of nearly everything is one of the best popular science book ever written. The mother tongue by bill bryson overdrive rakuten. Bill brysons love of the english language shines through the book, even though it might seem a bit opinionated the mother tongue is not a detailed history of the english language, but a light reading which is informative and interesting. Oct 01, 2009 bill bryson was born in des moines, iowa, and grew up there, but has spent most of his adult life in britain.
Bill brysons bestselling books include one summer, a short history of nearly everything, at home, a walk in the woods, neither here nor there, made in america, and the mother tongue. A merry and bright baedeker to the english language, its history, character, and probable future. Listen to the mother tongue english and how it got that way by bill bryson available from rakuten kobo. Bill bryson s bestselling books include a walk in the woods, the life and times of the thunderbolt kid, and a short history of nearly everything which won the aventis prize in britain and the descartes prize, the european unions highest literary. Bill bryson is the best selling author of several humorous and informative books on travel with well written guides to such disparate locales as australia, africa, europe, and many sections of the united states. I like brysons easy, breezy writing and love languages, so i expected to really enjoy this book and at first i did.
I bought this book as im a fan of bill bryson s writing and i find language an interesting subject. The book discusses the indoeuropean origins of english, the growing status of english as a global language, the complex etymology of english words, the dialects of english, spelling. Mother tongue was published by penguin books in 1990, the third book in bill bryson s short ish history of book writing. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat why you can talk but your dog. Its an interesting journey, part thesis and part pop science, that explains the most significant events in the development of the english language with lots of useful tidbits. Unfortunately, its not about english english, but american english.
The mother tongue is the story of the evolution of the english language, from its humble beginnings as a germanic tongue to what it has evolved into over the centuries. Dec 10, 2010 bill brysons love of the english language shines through the book, even though it might seem a bit opinionated the mother tongue is not a detailed history of the english language, but a light reading which is informative and interesting. Born in des moines, iowa, he now lives in england, where he has worked for both the times and independent and written for most other major british and american. With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, bill brysonthe acclaimed author of the lost continentbrilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the english language. He mainly writes travel memoirs, but has also written a few books on other topics, like the english language the mother tongue and shakespeare shakespeare. First and third were very enjoyable and i i listened to this book mainly to hear the first book notes from a small island since im about to visit the uk. I listened to an unabridged audio edition of this, and it was very well read.