The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left
"Manages to be genial and irascible at the same time...Crystal is fascinating and insightful, often funny."--Patricia T. O'Conner,New York Times Book Review"This volume is an excellent introductory essay on the development of the English language through the ages and on the rise of the prescriptivist movement, which is still very much alive. For both readers who consider themselves prescriptivists and those who consider themselves permissivists, this book will provide a quick lesson on why neither extreme makes sense, either historically or functionally. Crystal looks ahead to a more balanced view of English as an evolving and rich tool for communication."--Technical Communication"This engaging book encourages one to make appropriateness rather than correctness the cornerstone of usage--and along the way offers fascinating bits of linguistic history. It belongs on the shelf next to [Lynne] Truss's book....Essential.All readers; all levels."--CHOICE