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expiredphoinix | Staff posted Mar 11, 2025 02:21 PM
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expiredphoinix | Staff posted Mar 11, 2025 02:21 PM

The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got that Way (eBook) by Bill Bryson

$2.00

$15

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Various Digital Retailers have The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got that Way (eBook) by Bill Bryson on sale for $1.99.

Thanks to Deal Hunter phoinix for finding this deal.

Available from:About this book:
  • Page Length: 274
  • Bill Bryson is the New York Times bestselling author of At Home, A Walk in the Woods, The Lost Continent, Made in America, The Mother Tongue, A Short History of Nearly Everything.
  • Bill Bryson explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language.
  • From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.

Editor's Notes

Written by jimmytx | Staff
  • About this Store:
  • Additional Information:
    • This offer matches our popular front page deal from November 2024 which earned over 40 thumbs up.
    • Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon based on over 7455 customer reviews.
    • Please see the original post for additional details and/or view the Wiki and forum comments for further helpful discussion if available.

Original Post

Written by phoinix | Staff
Product Info
Community Notes
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Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Various Digital Retailers have The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got that Way (eBook) by Bill Bryson on sale for $1.99.

Thanks to Deal Hunter phoinix for finding this deal.

Available from:About this book:
  • Page Length: 274
  • Bill Bryson is the New York Times bestselling author of At Home, A Walk in the Woods, The Lost Continent, Made in America, The Mother Tongue, A Short History of Nearly Everything.
  • Bill Bryson explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language.
  • From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries.

Editor's Notes

Written by jimmytx | Staff
  • About this Store:
  • Additional Information:
    • This offer matches our popular front page deal from November 2024 which earned over 40 thumbs up.
    • Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon based on over 7455 customer reviews.
    • Please see the original post for additional details and/or view the Wiki and forum comments for further helpful discussion if available.

Original Post

Written by phoinix | Staff

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Top Comments

Danzilla
9622 Posts
2579 Reputation
From someone that rarely reads non-fiction, Bryson is rather amazing. Pick most any one and be amazed.
barathrum
281 Posts
97 Reputation
Bryson is great and I'd generally recommend his books, but he's not a linguist. I haven't read this book so I can't comment on it either way. However, if anyone is looking for a similar book by a linguist, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter is fantastic.

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Pro
Mar 11, 2025 08:38 PM
9,622 Posts
Joined Oct 2008
Danzilla
Pro
Mar 11, 2025 08:38 PM
9,622 Posts
From someone that rarely reads non-fiction, Bryson is rather amazing. Pick most any one and be amazed.
1
Mar 12, 2025 02:18 AM
389 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
zen_cohenMar 12, 2025 02:18 AM
389 Posts
Quote from Danzilla :
From someone that rarely reads non-fiction, Bryson is rather amazing. Pick most any one and be amazed.
Agree, and this is one of my favorites of his.
1
Mar 12, 2025 03:32 AM
26 Posts
Joined Nov 2015
nextvinnieMar 12, 2025 03:32 AM
26 Posts
Book is pretty entertaining, but if you're interested in accuracy of scholarship, this is a skip.
3
Mar 12, 2025 03:55 AM
389 Posts
Joined Dec 2013
zen_cohenMar 12, 2025 03:55 AM
389 Posts
Quote from nextvinnie :
Book is pretty entertaining, but if you're interested in accuracy of scholarship, this is a skip.
How is it not accurate?
Mar 12, 2025 04:39 AM
281 Posts
Joined Oct 2007
barathrumMar 12, 2025 04:39 AM
281 Posts
Bryson is great and I'd generally recommend his books, but he's not a linguist. I haven't read this book so I can't comment on it either way. However, if anyone is looking for a similar book by a linguist, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter is fantastic.
2
Mar 12, 2025 07:48 AM
2,584 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
slickernsnotMar 12, 2025 07:48 AM
2,584 Posts
Quote from barathrum :
Bryson is great and I'd generally recommend his books, but he's not a linguist. I haven't read this book so I can't comment on it either way. However, if anyone is looking for a similar book by a linguist, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter is fantastic.
Thank you for that recommendation. The audible sample sounds like the real deal.
1
Mar 12, 2025 10:24 AM
37,180 Posts
Joined Dec 2005
SnakePliskenMar 12, 2025 10:24 AM
37,180 Posts
robwords on youtube > all the rest
3

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Mar 12, 2025 06:11 PM
3,527 Posts
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KabnMar 12, 2025 06:11 PM
3,527 Posts
Bill Bryson and Mary Roach are my go-to authors for pop infotainment books, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as his others. There are so many instances of him explaining some quirk, then giving an entire paragraph of examples. Also seemed like he would go into hyper detail on some things, then skip over ones that seemed at least as important (if not more) to me.

Still worth the $2 I paid during a previous deal, just on the lower end of the spectrum of his books for me.
Mar 12, 2025 09:55 PM
644 Posts
Joined Jul 2016
thischrisMar 12, 2025 09:55 PM
644 Posts
Do yourself a favor and listen to this in audiobook format narrated by Bryson. For those complaining that Bryson is not a linguist this is not that type of book. This is one of those rare informative yet entertaining books. And his research is bar none.
1
Pro
Mar 14, 2025 01:27 AM
2,851 Posts
Joined Aug 2017
UkeDog
Pro
Mar 14, 2025 01:27 AM
2,851 Posts
Quote from barathrum :
Bryson is great and I'd generally recommend his books, but he's not a linguist. I haven't read this book so I can't comment on it either way. However, if anyone is looking for a similar book by a linguist, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter is fantastic.
As a confirmed cheap bastard, I already feel a kinship to this one. I shall investigate our local libraries for availability—thanks!

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