Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries & Meanings of Language

Synopsis

'Full of charm and fascination . . . a veritable verbal treasure house' -The BooksellerA mind-expanding, deeply humane tour of language(s) - and those who speak, study, and invent them - by the bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers.Is vocabulary destiny? Why do clocks 'talk' to the Nahua people of Mexico? Will A.I. researchers ever produce true human-machine dialogue? In this mesmerizing collection of essays, Daniel Tammet answers these and many other questions about the intricacy and profound power of language. In Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing, Tammet goes back in time to explore the numeric language of his autistic childhood; in Iceland, he learns why the name Blær became a court case; in Canada, he meets one of the world's most accomplished lip readers. He chats with chatbots; contrives an 'e'-less essay on lipograms; studies the grammar of the telephone; contemplates the significance of disappearing dialects; and corresponds with native Esperanto speakers - in their mother tongue. A joyous romp through the world of words, letters, stories, and meanings, Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing explores the way communication shapes reality. From the art of translation to the lyricism of sign language, these essays display the stunning range of Tammet's literary and polyglot talents.(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton

Copyright:

2017

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

ISBN-13:

9781473646605

Related ISBNs:

9780340961308, 9780340961315

Publisher:

Hodder & Stoughton

Date of Addition:

03/31/22

Copyrighted By:

Daniel Tammet

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Narrated By:

Daniel Tammet

Categories:

Entertainment, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Psychology, Language Arts, Philosophy

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.