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9780593830482

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Reviews

“A sprightly and invormed study of accents, their evolution, and social purpose. Fridland takes a playful approach to exploring accents without diminishing academic rigor.... Smart pop-science writing, inviting and well-researched.”—Kirkus “A very fun and playful look at language and speech.... This is a book for folks who enjoy sharing random trivia at parties and reading books written with a wink... every reader will come away with new knowledge.”—LibraryJournal “Brilliant! Why We Talk Funny is for everyone who perks up when they hear an accent.”—Mignon Fogarty, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Grammar Girl podcast “Page after page of illuminating, entertaining answers to questions we all have about why people talk the way they do! I will be recommending this to language nerds everywhere.”—Ellen Jovin, bestselling author of Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian “A fascinating guide to unlocking the power of your accent. By exploring the surprising evolution of how we sound, Why We Talk Funny will make you a more empathetic listener and a more effective communicator at home, at work, and out in the world.”—Scott Kaufman, author of Transcend: The New Science of Self Actualization “There is a sense of discovery and joy on every page, thanks to Valerie Fridland’s obvious and infectious passion for linguistics. Bursting with untold possibilities of what we’re communicating without words when we speak, Why We Talk Funny will make readers irrevocably aware of how the way we say things determines how we move through the world!” —Joe Berkowitz, author of Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions “Bringing together heaps of fun facts and fascinating linguistic science, Why We Talk Funny celebrates what makes us sound distinct and all we have in common so that we can listen and hear each other in important new ways.”—Anne Curzan, author of Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words

“Brilliant! Why We Talk Funny is for everyone who perks up when they hear an accent.”—Mignon Fogarty, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Grammar Girl podcast “Page after page of illuminating, entertaining answers to questions we all have about why people talk the way they do! I will be recommending this to language nerds everywhere.”—Ellen Jovin, bestselling author of Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian “A fascinating guide to unlocking the power of your accent. By exploring the surprising evolution of how we sound, Why We Talk Funny will make you a more empathetic listener and a more effective communicator at home, at work, and out in the world.”—Scott Kaufman, author of Transcend: The New Science of Self Actualization “There is a sense of discovery and joy on every page, thanks to Valerie Fridland’s obvious and infectious passion for linguistics. Bursting with untold possibilities of what we’re communicating without words when we speak, Why We Talk Funny will make readers irrevocably aware of how the way we say things determines how we move through the world!” —Joe Berkowitz, author of Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions “Bringing together heaps of fun facts and fascinating linguistic science, Why We Talk Funny celebrates what makes us sound distinct and all we have in common so that we can listen and hear each other in important new ways.”—Anne Curzan, author of Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words

Author Information

Valerie Fridland is the author of Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English, and a professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. She writes a popular language blog on Psychology Today called ""Language in the Wild,"" and is a professor in The Great Courses series.

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