What Language Is: And What it Isn't and What It Could Be by John McWhorter
Published: August 4th, 2011 by Gotham Books
Genre: Nonfiction, Language
Format: Hardcover, 228 Pages, Own
Rating: 4 stars
My Thoughts:
McWhorter takes us through the crazy and the zany of language. He talks a lot about how languages tha are learned by adults because of conquering/colonization, etc, and that are then passed down to their children will inevitably become more simplified as time goes on. Languages that are not usually learned by adults tend to stay really difficult to outsiders. Makes sense but you don't really think about it until he talks about it. He gives tons of examples from around the world. McWhorter really shines when it comes to pidgins and creoles; how they are formed and how they stick around.
Linguistics is my jam and I love reading more about it when I can. My only complaint (and to be fair he acknowledges this in the book) is that his writing style is like he was giving a speech or a lecture in class. It's very oral. So maybe listen to it rather than read it. I also love his Great Courses classes and this book feels just like one of those!
Languages are messy, just like humans, which makes them so much fun to study and learn about!
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen
Published: October 14th, 1995 by Gotham Books
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages, Own
Rating: 5 stars
My Thoughts:
This is a fantastic look at how history is taught/has been taught in the U.S. Loewen takes us through some big myths of U.S. history from Thanksgiving and Christopher Columbus to recent history like the Vietnam War and 9/11. He also explains how America itself is a mythical figure and how our history we learn in high school is a myth-making, bland, and inaccurate history. To be informed citizens we need to know our history. We can't make change unless we know where we've come from in order to see where we need to go.
This was released 25 years ago when I was in high school. I can vouch that my history textbooks did not teach accurate history. It was bland and boring and inaccurate. I didn't start on my journey of learning more accurate history until about 2010. So it's been a fast and furious crash course. I have learned about some of these things in other ways but the thing that's so fantastic about this book is it's all together. History does come alive in his hands and I wish we could come together as a country and really face our history, learn, and learn from and continue to grow.
This is a must-read book in high school and beyond.
Thanks for the tip to reach for the audio of What Language Is. That one sounds interesting to me, but you made a great case for the audiobook!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was funny reading it and then seeing that he also thought his writing was a bit oral in nature. I definitely think the audiobook is the way to go! Though you do get some charts of the languages in the book so that can give some good visual info. Maybe have both for that visual access. lol.
DeleteMy review of Lies will post tomorrow but we had remarkably similar thoughts. My high school history classes were abysmal. I don't know why everything in this country has to be so politicized and argued over.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your review. Mine aren't very in-depth but I try to convey overall message...don't know if I do that. lol.
DeleteIt's such a fight for the narrative of a nation. Grrr.