Overview

If there is one feature that defines the human condition, it is language: written, spoken, signed, understood and misunderstood, in all its infinite glory. In this ingenious, lyrical exploration, Julie Sedivy draws on years of experience in the lab and a lifetime of linguistic love to bring the discoveries of the field home, to the place where language itself lives: within the yearnings of the heart and amid the complex social bonds that it makes possible. Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love follows the path that language takes through a human life-from an infant's first attempts at sense-making to the vulnerabilities and losses that accompany aging. As Sedivy shows, language and life are inextricable, and here she offers them together: a childish misunderstanding of her mother's meaning reveals the difficulty of relating to others; frustration with ""professional"" communication styles exposes the labyrinth of standards that define success; the first signs of hearing loss lead to a meditation on society's discomfort with physical and mental limitations. Part memoir, part scientific exploration, and part cultural commentary, this book epitomizes the thrills of a life steeped in the aesthetic delights of language and the joys of its scientific scrutiny.

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9781250397553

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Reviews

""Rapturous . . . For lovers of the written and spoken word, this enchanting study is a must."" --Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""A remarkable book about how language is an essential trait of human beings--and also one of the most mysterious. . . Sedivy blends a tender memoir with a fascinating study of how language defines the human condition. . . Her love of her subject shines through in her graceful writing, resulting in a pleasing, sometimes beguiling read."" --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ""Lyrical. . . a compelling picture of language as a driving force shaping the human condition."" --Carolyn Wong Simpkins, Science

Author Information

Julie Sedivy has taught linguistics and psychology at Brown University and the University of Calgary. She is the author of Memory Speaks: On Losing and Reclaiming Language and Self and Language in Mind: An Introduction to Psycholinguistics, as well as the coauthor of Sold on Language: How Advertisers Talk to You and What This Says About You. She lives in Calgary, Canada.

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