Language History

In this ambitious book, Jieun Kiaer explores the lives of English words in the twenty-first century, when the creation and use of language has become an increasingly dynamic, interactive, and diverse process in which ordinary people have taken leading roles—offering such coinages as "flexitarian," "MeToo," "glow up," and "shitizen" to "No sabo kids" and beyond. As English language grows ever more diverse, Kiaer believes, we need a paradigm shift. 

Brought to you by Penguin. A riveting, masterfully researched account of the bold innovators who adapted the Chinese language to the modern world, transforming China into a super-power in the process What does it take to reinvent the world's oldest living language? China today is one of the...

When conflicts become entrenched over generations, the language of war infiltrates everyday life, concealing destruction and hardening positions. Nowhere is this truer than in the Middle East. Award-winning author Raja Shehadeh explores the politics of language and the language of politics in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reflecting on the walls that they create - legal and cultural - that confine today's Palestinians just like the borders, checkpoints and so-called "Separation Barrier".

THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 NYT BESTSELLER ‘One for Philip Pullman fans’ THE TIMES ‘This one is an automatic buy’ GLAMOUR ‘Ambitious, sweeping and epic’ EVENING STANDARD ‘Razor-sharp’ DAILY MAIL ‘An ingenious fantasy about empire’ GUARDIAN 'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem...

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.

Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived from a shared linguistic source known as Proto-Indo-European. But who were the early speakers of this ancient mother tongue, and how did they manage to spread it around the globe? The Horse, the Wheel, and Language solves a puzzle that has vexed scholars for two centuries and recovers a magnificent and influential civilization from the past. 

Unlock the cosmos with a sweeping popular science history that turns abstract numbers into a thrilling human adventure. Perfect for your daily commute, this thought-provoking journey reveals how our urgent ancient need to trade, navigate, and survive sparked the evolution of algebra, calculus...

Master the evolution of software engineering as you explore tech history from raw machine code to AI ecosystems. Perfect for your morning commute or focused deep work, this captivating narrative tracks the brilliant pioneers who transformed human logic into the digital frameworks powering our...

From the coauthor of Algorithms to Live By, an exploration of the quest to use mathematics to describe the ways we think, from its origins three hundred years ago to the ideas behind modern AI systems and the ways in which they still differ from human minds. Everyone has a basic understanding of...

From a media expert and network commentator, an engaging guide through the welter of misinformation-generated by politicians and the media alike-that surrounds political campaigns Here, at last, is the book for anyone who ever wondered how the media extravaganzas we call political campaigns...

Explore the resilient history of deaf culture and the linguistic battles that shaped vibrant visual languages. Perfect for your daily commute or an afternoon of mindful learning, this inspiring narrative travels from ancient civilizations to the digital age. Discover how marginalized communities...

Discover the linguistic history and cultural evolution of a tribal dialect that accidentally conquered the globe. Surviving violent Viking raids, military conquests, and relentless reshaping by foreign speakers, this living language refused to die. Instead, it absorbed everything in its path to...

Explore the captivating cultural history of linguistics, where eccentric scholars battled to tame rebellious living speech. Perfect for a stimulating morning commute, this thought-provoking narrative turns an ordinary reference tool into a gripping saga of ambition, power, and obsession. Whether...

Uncover the evolutionary history of human communication, tracing our journey from prehistoric grunts to the digital age. Perfect for curious minds seeking an educational commute, this thought-provoking deep dive explores how a clever primate developed the tools for complex speech. Far from dry...

Discover the sweeping history of linguistics and human evolution, tracing our journey from ancient grunts to modern AI. Perfect for an educational daily commute, this thought-provoking deep dive reveals how shared sounds transformed into world-building power. Language is not merely a tool for...

Over 330,000 copies sold. This is the story of the church for today's listeners. Bruce Shelley's classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the twenty-first century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting...

One of the twentieth century's most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture is With The Interpretation of Cultures, the distinguished anthropologist Clifford Geertz developed the concept of thick description, and in so doing, he...

Uncover two thousand years of Christian history, where everyday believers survive empires and spark spiritual renewal. Perfect for your morning commute or Sunday reflection, this accessible religious history grounds your faith by exploring the inspiring triumphs and honest failures of the global...

Uncover the linguistic history of how a tiny tribal dialect conquered the Roman Empire and built the modern world. Perfect for an educational commute, this intellectual journey reveals the hidden mechanics of human communication. Watch a marginalized tongue transform into the global voice of law...

Uncover the gripping evolution of human speech in this narrative history that turns linguistics into an epic adventure. Perfect for a curious commute or a lifelong learning journey, this immersive exploration traces our everyday vocabulary back to ancient battlefields and forgotten tribes...