The Prodigal Tongue
The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English
No se pudo agregar al carrito
Add to Cart failed.
Error al Agregar a Lista de Deseos.
Error al eliminar de la lista de deseos.
Error al añadir a tu biblioteca
Error al seguir el podcast
Error al dejar de seguir el podcast
The Prodigal Tongue
Compra ahora por $15.47
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrado por:
-
Pam Ward
-
De:
-
Lynne Murphy
Acerca de esta escucha
"If Shakespeare were alive today, he'd sound like an American."
"English accents are the sexiest."
"Americans have ruined the English language."
"Technology means everyone will have to speak the same English."
Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line. In The Prodigal Tongue she explores the fiction and reality of the special relationship between British and American English. By examining the causes and symptoms of American Verbal Inferiority Complex and its flipside, British Verbal Superiority Complex, Murphy unravels the prejudices, stereotypes, and insecurities that shape our attitudes to our own language.
With great humo(u)r and new insights, Lynne Murphy looks at the social, political, and linguistic forces that have driven American and British English in different directions: how Americans got from centre to center, why British accents are growing away from American ones, and what different things we mean when we say estate, frown, or middle class. Is anyone winning this war of the words? Will Yanks and Brits ever really understand each other?
©2018 M. Lynne Murphy (P)2018 TantorLos oyentes también disfrutaron...
-
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- De: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrado por: Anthony Heald
- Duración: 25 h y 2 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 3,037
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 2,744
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 2,737
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Oddball Translation
- De Joel Jenkins en 05-11-17
De: Homer, y otros
-
Word by Word
- The Secret Life of Dictionaries
- De: Kory Stamper
- Narrado por: Kory Stamper
- Duración: 9 h y 48 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 480
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 428
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 424
While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, the process of writing them is in fact as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography - from the agonizing decisions about what and how to define to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Kory should narrate more Audible books!
- De Friendly en 04-24-17
De: Kory Stamper
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 5 h y 22 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 4,037
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 3,412
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 3,388
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great for casual linguists
- De Bertie en 01-11-10
De: John McWhorter
-
The Language Game
- How Improvisation Created Language and Changed the World
- De: Morten H. Christiansen, Nick Chater
- Narrado por: Peter Noble
- Duración: 9 h y 50 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 73
Language is perhaps humanity’s most astonishing capacity - and one that remains poorly understood. In The Language Game, cognitive scientists Morten H. Christiansen and Nick Chater show us where generations of scientists seeking the rules of language got it wrong. Language isn’t about hardwired grammars but about near-total freedom, something like a game of charades, with the only requirement being a desire to understand and be understood.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good
- De Bruce R en 03-12-22
De: Morten H. Christiansen, y otros
-
The Fire Next Time
- De: James Baldwin
- Narrado por: Jesse L. Martin
- Duración: 2 h y 25 m
- Versión completa
-
General5 out of 5 stars 8,890
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 7,647
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars 7,597
At once a powerful evocation of his early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice to both the individual and the body politic, James Baldwin galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil rights movement with this eloquent manifesto. The Fire Next Time stands as one of the essential works of our literature.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sad and moving and powerful and beautiful
- De Darwin8u en 09-17-15
De: James Baldwin
-
Highly Irregular
- Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme - And Other Oddities of the English Language
- De: Arika Okrent
- Narrado por: Arika Okrent
- Duración: 5 h y 16 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 37
In Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent tells the story of the many influences - from invading French armies to stubborn Flemish printers - that made our language the way it is today. Both an entertaining send-up of linguistic oddities and a deeply researched history of English, Highly Irregular is essential for anyone who has paused to wonder about our marvelous mess of a language.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Quick Hits of Knowledge
- De Kindle Customer en 05-11-24
De: Arika Okrent
-
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- De: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrado por: Anthony Heald
- Duración: 25 h y 2 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 3,037
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 2,744
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 2,737
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Oddball Translation
- De Joel Jenkins en 05-11-17
De: Homer, y otros
-
Word by Word
- The Secret Life of Dictionaries
- De: Kory Stamper
- Narrado por: Kory Stamper
- Duración: 9 h y 48 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 480
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 428
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 424
While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, the process of writing them is in fact as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography - from the agonizing decisions about what and how to define to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Kory should narrate more Audible books!
- De Friendly en 04-24-17
De: Kory Stamper
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 5 h y 22 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 4,037
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 3,412
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 3,388
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great for casual linguists
- De Bertie en 01-11-10
De: John McWhorter
-
The Language Game
- How Improvisation Created Language and Changed the World
- De: Morten H. Christiansen, Nick Chater
- Narrado por: Peter Noble
- Duración: 9 h y 50 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 93
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 73
Language is perhaps humanity’s most astonishing capacity - and one that remains poorly understood. In The Language Game, cognitive scientists Morten H. Christiansen and Nick Chater show us where generations of scientists seeking the rules of language got it wrong. Language isn’t about hardwired grammars but about near-total freedom, something like a game of charades, with the only requirement being a desire to understand and be understood.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good
- De Bruce R en 03-12-22
De: Morten H. Christiansen, y otros
-
The Fire Next Time
- De: James Baldwin
- Narrado por: Jesse L. Martin
- Duración: 2 h y 25 m
- Versión completa
-
General5 out of 5 stars 8,890
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 7,647
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars 7,597
At once a powerful evocation of his early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice to both the individual and the body politic, James Baldwin galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil rights movement with this eloquent manifesto. The Fire Next Time stands as one of the essential works of our literature.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Sad and moving and powerful and beautiful
- De Darwin8u en 09-17-15
De: James Baldwin
-
Highly Irregular
- Why Tough, Through, and Dough Don't Rhyme - And Other Oddities of the English Language
- De: Arika Okrent
- Narrado por: Arika Okrent
- Duración: 5 h y 16 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 37
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 37
In Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent tells the story of the many influences - from invading French armies to stubborn Flemish printers - that made our language the way it is today. Both an entertaining send-up of linguistic oddities and a deeply researched history of English, Highly Irregular is essential for anyone who has paused to wonder about our marvelous mess of a language.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Quick Hits of Knowledge
- De Kindle Customer en 05-11-24
De: Arika Okrent
-
A History of the Human Brain
- From the Sea Sponge to CRISPR, How Our Brain Evolved
- De: Bret Stetka
- Narrado por: Sean Pratt
- Duración: 7 h y 54 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 125
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 92
Just over 125,000 years ago, humanity was going extinct until a dramatic shift occurred—Homo sapiens started tracking the tides in order to eat the nearby oysters. Before long, they’d pulled themselves back from the brink of extinction. The human brain, and its evolutionary journey, is unlike anything else in history. In A History of the Human Brain, Bret Stetka takes listeners through that far-reaching journey. He also tackles the question of where the brain will take us next, exploring the burgeoning concepts of epigenetics and new technologies like CRISPR.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating survey of the evolution of the human brain
- De Cosmos en 03-30-21
De: Bret Stetka
-
The Adventure of English
- The Biography of a Language
- De: Melvyn Bragg
- Narrado por: Robert Powell
- Duración: 12 h y 9 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 2,923
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,630
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 1,634
This is the remarkable story of the English language; from its beginnings as a minor guttural Germanic dialect to its position today as a truly established global language. The Adventure of English is not only an enthralling story of power, religion, and trade, but also the story of people, and how their lives continue to change the extraordinary language that is English.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Many Of Course monments
- De Leigh A en 10-21-05
De: Melvyn Bragg
-
Between the World and Me
- De: Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Narrado por: Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Duración: 3 h y 35 m
- Versión completa
-
General5 out of 5 stars 31,216
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 27,567
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars 27,383
Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race”, a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of Black women and men - bodies exploited through slavery and segregation and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a Black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Heartfelt Self-aware Literary Masterpiece
- De T Spencer en 07-30-15
De: Ta-Nehisi Coates
-
Humble Pi
- When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World
- De: Matt Parker
- Narrado por: Matt Parker
- Duración: 9 h y 33 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 2,181
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 1,860
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 1,852
Exploring and explaining a litany of glitches, near misses, and mathematical mishaps involving the internet, big data, elections, street signs, lotteries, the Roman Empire, and an Olympic team, Matt Parker uncovers the bizarre ways math trips us up, and what this reveals about its essential place in our world. Getting it wrong has never been more fun.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating & enlightening even for da mathphobic✏️
- De C. White en 01-23-20
De: Matt Parker
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 7 h y 2 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 1,415
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,275
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 1,267
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Review By a Fan
- De Margaret en 09-25-16
De: John McWhorter
-
Nine Nasty Words
- English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 6 h y 52 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 977
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 824
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 813
Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech - the urgency with which we say "f--k!" is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger. Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Wonderful book!
- De BrittPet en 06-25-21
De: John McWhorter
-
The Avoidable War
- The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China
- De: Kevin Rudd
- Narrado por: Kevin Rudd, Rafe Beckley
- Duración: 16 h y 9 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 270
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 234
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 230
The relationship between the US and China, the world’s two superpowers, is peculiarly volatile. Their militaries play a dangerous game of chicken, corporations steal intellectual property, intelligence satellites peer, and AI technicians plot. The capacity for either country to cross a fatal line grows daily. Kevin Rudd, a former Australian prime minister who has studied, lived in, and worked with China for more than forty years, is one of the very few people who can offer real insight into the mindsets of the leadership whose judgment will determine if a war will be fought.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Xi and the CCP Approve this Message
- De Andrizomai en 12-04-22
De: Kevin Rudd
-
Wordslut
- A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language
- De: Amanda Montell
- Narrado por: Amanda Montell
- Duración: 6 h y 56 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 667
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 576
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 569
A brash, enlightening, and wildly entertaining feminist look at gendered language and the way it shapes us, written with humor and playfulness that challenges words and phrases and how we use them. Montell effortlessly moves between history and popular culture to explore these questions and more. Wordslut gets to the heart of our language, marvels at its elasticity, and sheds much-needed light into the biases that shadow women in our culture and our consciousness.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Loved this book
- De chris boutte en 06-24-21
De: Amanda Montell
-
What's Gotten into You
- The Story of Your Body's Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night's Dinner
- De: Dan Levitt
- Narrado por: Mike Chamberlain
- Duración: 12 h y 38 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars 106
Every one of us contains a billion times more atoms than all the grains of sand in the earth’s deserts. If you weigh 150 pounds, you’ve got enough carbon to make 25 pounds of charcoal, enough salt to fill a saltshaker, enough chlorine to disinfect several backyard swimming pools, and enough iron to forge a 3-inch nail. But how did these elements combine to make us human?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the Very Best Science Books I have Read
- De TStair en 03-20-23
De: Dan Levitt
-
The Mother Tongue
- De: Bill Bryson
- Narrado por: Stephen McLaughlin
- Duración: 10 h y 44 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 1,288
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,116
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 1,110
With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More satire than history
- De Barbara Kindle Customer en 12-18-15
De: Bill Bryson
-
Because Internet
- Understanding the New Rules of Language
- De: Gretchen McCulloch
- Narrado por: Gretchen McCulloch
- Duración: 8 h
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 479
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 416
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 411
Because Internet is for anyone who's ever puzzled over how to punctuate a text message or wondered where memes come from. It's the perfect book for understanding how the internet is changing the English language, why that's a good thing, and what our online interactions reveal about who we are.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Why Do Authors Insist on Reading Their Own Books?
- De Ross Bennett en 08-20-19
-
Recoding America
- Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better
- De: Jennifer Pahlka
- Narrado por: Jennifer Pahlka
- Duración: 9 h y 37 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 158
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 158
A bold call to reexamine how our government operates—and sometimes fails to—from President Obama’s former deputy chief technology officer and the founder of Code for America.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very good, minimally partisan.
- De 95Rb35 en 11-25-23
De: Jennifer Pahlka
Relacionado con este tema
-
The Mother Tongue
- De: Bill Bryson
- Narrado por: Stephen McLaughlin
- Duración: 10 h y 44 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 1,288
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,116
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 1,110
With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More satire than history
- De Barbara Kindle Customer en 12-18-15
De: Bill Bryson
-
The Bonjour Effect
- The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed
- De: Julie Barlow, Jean-Benoit Nadeau
- Narrado por: Teri Schnaubelt
- Duración: 8 h y 37 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Narración:4 out of 5 stars 112
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 111
Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow spent a decade traveling back and forth to Paris as well as living there. Yet one important lesson never seemed to sink in: how to communicate comfortably with the French, even when you speak their language. In The Bonjour Effect, Jean-Benoît and Julie chronicle the lessons they learned after they returned to France to live, for a year, with their twin daughters. They offer up all the lessons they learned and explain the most important aspect of all: the French don't communicate, they converse.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible French pronunciation
- De CA en 01-24-19
De: Julie Barlow, y otros
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 5 h y 22 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 4,037
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 3,412
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 3,388
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great for casual linguists
- De Bertie en 01-11-10
De: John McWhorter
-
The Story of English in 100 Words
- De: David Crystal
- Narrado por: David Crystal
- Duración: 7 h y 56 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 275
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 236
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 236
In this unique new history of the world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences, and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the first definitively English word was written down in the fifth century ("roe", in case you are wondering). Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient words ("loaf") to cutting edge ("twittersphere") and spanning the indispensable words that shape our tongue ("and", "what") to the more fanciful ("fopdoodle"), Crystal takes us along the winding byways of language.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Random but entertaining
- De Sean en 04-01-13
De: David Crystal
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 7 h y 2 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 1,415
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,275
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 1,267
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Review By a Fan
- De Margaret en 09-25-16
De: John McWhorter
-
The Glamour of Grammar
- De: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrado por: Roy Peter Clark
- Duración: 8 h y 55 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 59
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 40
Early in the history of English, glamour and grammar were the same word, linked to enchantment and magical spells. Now grammar brings to mind language bullies and bored-out-of-their-skulls students. Roy Peter Clark, one of America’s most influential writing teachers, wants to change that by putting the glamour back into grammar.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Wasteful
- De ABID en 12-05-13
De: Roy Peter Clark
-
The Mother Tongue
- De: Bill Bryson
- Narrado por: Stephen McLaughlin
- Duración: 10 h y 44 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 1,288
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,116
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 1,110
With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson - the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent - brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience, and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't) to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
More satire than history
- De Barbara Kindle Customer en 12-18-15
De: Bill Bryson
-
The Bonjour Effect
- The Secret Codes of French Conversation Revealed
- De: Julie Barlow, Jean-Benoit Nadeau
- Narrado por: Teri Schnaubelt
- Duración: 8 h y 37 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 132
-
Narración:4 out of 5 stars 112
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 111
Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow spent a decade traveling back and forth to Paris as well as living there. Yet one important lesson never seemed to sink in: how to communicate comfortably with the French, even when you speak their language. In The Bonjour Effect, Jean-Benoît and Julie chronicle the lessons they learned after they returned to France to live, for a year, with their twin daughters. They offer up all the lessons they learned and explain the most important aspect of all: the French don't communicate, they converse.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Terrible French pronunciation
- De CA en 01-24-19
De: Julie Barlow, y otros
-
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
- The Untold History of English
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 5 h y 22 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 4,037
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 3,412
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 3,388
A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great for casual linguists
- De Bertie en 01-11-10
De: John McWhorter
-
The Story of English in 100 Words
- De: David Crystal
- Narrado por: David Crystal
- Duración: 7 h y 56 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 275
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 236
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 236
In this unique new history of the world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences, and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the first definitively English word was written down in the fifth century ("roe", in case you are wondering). Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient words ("loaf") to cutting edge ("twittersphere") and spanning the indispensable words that shape our tongue ("and", "what") to the more fanciful ("fopdoodle"), Crystal takes us along the winding byways of language.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Random but entertaining
- De Sean en 04-01-13
De: David Crystal
-
Words on the Move
- Why English Won't - and Can't - Sit Still (Like, Literally)
- De: John McWhorter
- Narrado por: John McWhorter
- Duración: 7 h y 2 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 1,415
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,275
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 1,267
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Review By a Fan
- De Margaret en 09-25-16
De: John McWhorter
-
The Glamour of Grammar
- De: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrado por: Roy Peter Clark
- Duración: 8 h y 55 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 59
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 40
Early in the history of English, glamour and grammar were the same word, linked to enchantment and magical spells. Now grammar brings to mind language bullies and bored-out-of-their-skulls students. Roy Peter Clark, one of America’s most influential writing teachers, wants to change that by putting the glamour back into grammar.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Wasteful
- De ABID en 12-05-13
De: Roy Peter Clark
-
Babel No More
- The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners
- De: Michael Erard
- Narrado por: Robert Blumenfeld
- Duración: 9 h y 3 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 47
-
Narración:4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 45
We all learn at least one language as children. But what does it take to learn six languages...or seventy? In Babel No More, Michael Erard, "a monolingual with benefits," sets out on a quest to meet language superlearners and make sense of their mental powers. On the way he uncovers the secrets of historical figures like Italian cardinal Giuseppe Mezzofanti, who was said to speak seventy-two languages; Emil Krebs, a pugnacious German diplomat, who spoke sixty-eight languages; and Lomb Kat, a Hungarian who taught herself Russian by reading Russian romance novels.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Heavy on anecdote, light on science
- De S. Yates en 07-15-16
De: Michael Erard
-
How to Write Short
- Word Craft for Fast Times
- De: Roy Peter Clark
- Narrado por: Roy Peter Clark
- Duración: 5 h y 20 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 74
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 73
In How to Write Short , Roy Peter Clark turns his attention to the art of painting a thousand pictures with just a few words. Short forms of writing have always existed - from ship logs and telegrams to prayers and haikus. But in this ever-changing Internet age, short-form writing has become an essential skill. Clark covers how to write effective and powerful titles, headlines, essays, sales pitches, Tweets, letters, and even self-descriptions for online dating services.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Ironically long
- De Amazon Customer en 03-14-16
De: Roy Peter Clark
-
A Little History of the World
- De: E. H. Gombrich
- Narrado por: Ralph Cosham
- Duración: 9 h y 11 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 4,082
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 3,428
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 3,414
E. H. Gombrich's world history, an international best seller now available in English for the first time, is a text dominated not by dates and facts but by the sweep of experience across the centuries, a guide to humanity's achievements, and an acute witness to its frailties.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
an enlightening book; very well read
- De A.B.Oxford en 06-03-06
De: E. H. Gombrich
-
The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead
- Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life
- De: Charles Murray
- Narrado por: Charles Murray
- Duración: 3 h y 9 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 737
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 633
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 629
Best-selling social historian Charles Murray has written a delightfully fussy - and entertaining - book on the hidden rules of the road in the workplace - and in life - from the standpoint of an admonishing, but encouraging, workplace grouch and taskmaster. Why the curmudgeon? The fact is that most older, more senior people in the workplace are closet curmudgeons. In today's politically correct world, they may hide their displeasure over your misuse of grammar or your overly familiar use of their first name without an express invitation. But don't be fooled by their pleasant demeanor....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good Book: From one curmudgeon to another
- De DaWoolf en 05-22-14
De: Charles Murray
-
The Pun Also Rises
- How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
- De: John Pollack
- Narrado por: Pete Larkin
- Duración: 4 h y 57 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 61
-
Narración:4 out of 5 stars 56
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 54
The Pun Also Rises is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth. At once entertaining and educational, this engaging book answers fundamental questions: Just what is a pun, and why do people make them? How did punning impact the development of human language, and how did that drive creativity and progress? And why, after centuries of decline, does the pun still matter?
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Punderful Little Book
- De B. Lane en 01-10-13
De: John Pollack
-
You Say Potato: A Book About Accents
- De: Ben Crystal, David Crystal
- Narrado por: David Crystal, Ben Crystal, Jane Savage, y otros
- Duración: 7 h y 5 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Narración:5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 70
Some people say 'sconn' while others say 'schown'. He says 'bath' while she says 'bahth'. You say 'potayto'. I say 'potahto'. And - wait a second, no one says 'potahto'. No one's ever said 'potahto'. Have they? From reconstructing Shakespeare's accent to the rise and fall of received pronunciation, actor Ben Crystal and his linguist father, David, travel the world in search of the stories of spoken English.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Wish there were more native recordings.
- De Matt Dobler en 07-01-16
De: Ben Crystal, y otros
-
Notes on a Century
- Reflections of a Middle East Historian
- De: Bernard Lewis, Buntzie Ellis Churchill
- Narrado por: Ralph Lister
- Duración: 12 h y 59 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 40
Few historians end up as historical actors in their own right, but Bernard Lewis has both witnessed and participated in some of the key events of the last century. When we think of the Middle East, we see it in terms that he defined and articulated.In this exceptional memoir he shares stories of his wartime service in London and Cairo, decrypting intercepts for MI6, with sometimes unexpected consequences. After the war, he was the first Western scholar ever invited into the Ottoman archives in Istanbul.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Can't Get Enough of the Book
- De Sanford H. en 12-11-13
De: Bernard Lewis, y otros
-
Articulate While Black
- Barack Obama, Language, and Race in the U.S
- De: H. Samy Alim, Geneva Smitherman, Michael Eric Dyson - foreword
- Narrado por: Mirron Willis
- Duración: 8 h y 58 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 53
In Articulate While Black, two renowned scholars of Black Language address language and racial politics in the U.S. through an insightful examination of President Barack Obama's language use--and America's response to it. In this eloquently written and powerfully argued book, H. Samy Alim and Geneva Smitherman provide new insights about President Obama and the relationship between language and race in contemporary society.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
best book on language
- De Amazon Customer Bishop Dr Arthur Lewis PhD en 12-07-18
De: H. Samy Alim, y otros
-
The Art of Language Invention
- From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building
- De: David J. Peterson
- Narrado por: David J. Peterson
- Duración: 10 h y 26 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 101
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 92
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 89
An insider’s tour through the construction of invented languages from the bestselling author and creator of languages for Legendary's Dune, the HBO series Game of Thrones and the Syfy series Defiance.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Great resource, but not conducive to audiobook
- De Ashley T. en 04-18-16
-
Made in America
- De: Bill Bryson
- Narrado por: William Roberts
- Duración: 18 h y 10 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 1,547
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 1,278
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 1,276
In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question, and Dr Kellogg of cornflakes fame.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Bryson Not Reading Makes For a Rare Fail
- De John en 02-28-14
De: Bill Bryson
-
Words and Rules
- The Ingredients of Language
- De: Steven Pinker
- Narrado por: Arthur Morey
- Duración: 13 h y 59 m
- Versión completa
-
General4 out of 5 stars 165
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 141
-
Historia4 out of 5 stars 145
First published in 2000, Words and Rules remains one of Pinker's most provocative and accessible books, illuminating the fascinating relationship between the brain, the mind, and how language makes us humans.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing how much irregular verbs can teach.
- De Tristan en 04-10-16
De: Steven Pinker
-
Letters to a Young Teacher
- De: Jonathan Kozol
- Narrado por: David Drummond
- Duración: 5 h y 36 m
- Versión completa
-
General4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Narración:4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Historia4.5 out of 5 stars 26
In these affectionate letters to Francesca, a first-grade teacher at an inner-city school in Boston, Jonathan Kozol vividly describes his repeated visits to her classroom while, under Francesca's likably irreverent questioning, also revealing his own most personal stories of the years that he has spent in public schools.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A must read for new teachers
- De Santiago en 03-31-10
De: Jonathan Kozol
Lo que los oyentes dicen sobre The Prodigal Tongue
Calificaciones medias de los clientesReseñas - Selecciona las pestañas a continuación para cambiar el origen de las reseñas.
-
Total5 out of 5 stars
-
Ejecución5 out of 5 stars
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 01-08-24
Great book and amazing performance
I can’t imagine the process required to get an appropriate reader to pull off this book, which is an accessible and charming study built on pronunciation and vocabulary in different Englishes. This all could have gone sideways quickly but it didn’t and the performance made it possible to digest the interesting and highly nuanced content with ease. Very worth a listen.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total5 out of 5 stars
- SBS
- 06-14-18
University textbook
Very enthralling and entertaining! really enjoyed the speaker and the content. Feel rather prepared for my university class now!
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
esto le resultó útil a 2 personas
-
Total5 out of 5 stars
-
Ejecución5 out of 5 stars
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars
- Thombilous
- 04-30-20
excellent!
I enjoyed this a great deal. As an English teacher raised in England, but teaching in the USA, this book helped me find myself, my accent, my voice, and my words.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total5 out of 5 stars
-
Ejecución5 out of 5 stars
-
Historia5 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan
- 02-12-19
Fun and Interesting
Lynn Murphy’s at times serious, at times humorous look at the language I thought I knew kept me wanting to learn more.
This, thankfully, is not an academic treatise, but a wry full body scan of our sames and differences.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
-
Total2 out of 5 stars
- Tina
- 08-27-20
TOO MUCH BITTERNESS
Honestly. I live in the US. I LOVE american english. But after half an hour of embittered whining about how much the Brits hate it and are scared by it, I gave up. I wanted to know more about two wonderful ways of speaking English. I didn't sign up for listening to ten minutes of grievances for every minute of content actually dealing with the advertised topic.
Se ha producido un error. Vuelve a intentarlo dentro de unos minutos.
Has calificado esta reseña.
Reportaste esta reseña
esto le resultó útil a 2 personas