Mother Tongue: The Story of the English Language

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Trumpet at him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigor. I read this book in English and I must admit that although it is very interesting, as a non-English speaker, I was not able to fully appreciate it and understand it.

November 2021: Went ahead and removed my 4 star rating for this book, which I read and reviewed in 2006.Or these instructions gracing a packet of convenience food from Italy: 'Besmear a backing pan, previously buttered with a good tomato sauce, and, after dispose the cannelloni, lightly distanced between them in a only couch. His bestselling books include The Road to Little Dribbling, Notes from a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, One Summer and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Unfortunately once it becomes clear that many of these factoids won't stand up to closer scrutiny -- Bryson doesn't even blink as he repeats the age-old and very disputed claim that the Eskimos have 50 words for snow -- it becomes hard to believe anything the book claims. The book is entertaining and goes a long way to explain how English is spoken in so many parts of the world, much more so than Portuguese, another colonial language. It is not included in promotions available to our main range products, as stated in our terms of service.

The book's 1990 publication also betrays its age as it is hopelessly out of date when describing how absurdly impractical the computer keyboards are for Chinese and Japanese users and how that has hindered their economic development. At this point, I decided I’d read some reviews to see if anyone who knows more than I do felt the same way. Bryson repeatedly shows that he doesn’t understand what he’s talking about when it comes to the English language. Well, I am glad I stuck to English over Hindi, because this is one crazy nanny - totally idiosyncratic and eccentric, just like me.

The Finns, lacking the sort of words you need to describe your feelings when you stub your toe getting up to answer a phone at 2.