The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
Starting with the well-known model of relationships among  languages as a family tree, McWhorter (linguistics, Berkeley)  fleshes out and refines this model as he narrates development of  language. He explores five main ways that languages change, such  as sound change and the transformation of words into pieces of  grammar. McWhorter further illuminates and compares concepts of  dialect, pidgin, and Creole to demonstrate the changing nature  of language. Through the discussion, he replaces the family-tree  model of language relations with the more sophisticated images  of a bush and a net. Numerous examples support each point,  including cartoons illustrating German dialects. Indeed, the  sheer weight of all the examples and detailed discussion could  discourage an initially curious reader. While McWhorter reaches  out to general readers by avoiding jargon and using an informal  tone, brevity is needed to reach the maximum audience. Steven  Fisher offers a narrative language history in History of  Language (Reaktion, 1999), but while Fisher presents a slightly  briefer account, it is also far more technical, with an emphasis  on evolutionary theory. Not an essential purchase, McWhorter's  work is recommended only for public libraries with large  language collections. Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., ILCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.