Language Arts Books

Great book. I'd recommend it to anyone who want to write interesting free flowing articles be it stories or anything. This book offers you with knowledge you'd need to write a good essay, story or book. I love this book it has really helped me improve my writing skills. Writing Creative Nonfiction

The book was well known before I ordered it. It is all I looked for and it is on my principal bookshelf.

This book may not be 100% comprehensive (a tad redundant, perhaps), but if there is any other one out there that has more to offer on addressing the varieties of style, structure, form and the creative nonfiction process, I haven't seen it. Being new to the business in 2003 when I began working on Waiting for Westmoreland in earnest, I found the instuctions and insights illuminating, inspiring and confusing all at once. How to choose?! I felt like Alice on her journey after the rabbit. Still, it gave me plenty of techniques to consider--that would not have been as readily discernible had I simply tried to read every book of actual creative nonfiction I could get my hands on.

Over the past several years there has been quite a controversy as to what exactly is creative nonfiction.
In fact, there are some who even go so far as denying its existence and claim there is no such animal!
If we are from the school that accepts that it is alive and kicking, we must then be able to describe what exactly is creative nonfiction.

Carolyn Fauché and Philip Gerard, editors of Writing Creative Nonficton, perhaps best sum up what it is all about when they state: "creative nonfiction has emerged in the last few years as the province of factual prose that is also literary-infused with the stylistic devices, tropes, and rhetorical flourishes of the best fiction and the most lyrical narrative poetry. It is fact based writing that remains compelling, undiminished by the passage of time, that has at heart an interest in enduring human values: foremost a fidelity to accuracy, to truthfulness."

In order to support their belief in creative nonfiction, Fauché and Gerard have presented more than thirty essays that examine all of above key ingredients inherent in writing creative nonfiction.
Divided into three sections, the reader will receive tips pertaining to such topics as researching ideas and structuring the story, reportage, personal reflection, developing powerful observation techniques, awareness of the filters that put you between yourself and the world, shaping the lyric essay, creating biography, war writing, using humor, and taking yourself out of the story.

What is quite noteworthy about the book is that the reader receives valuable advice from over thirty well- known writers such as: Terry Tempest Williams, Allan Cheuse, Phillip Lopate, Carolyn Forché, and Philip Gerard, all of whom contribute immensely in convincing us that, yes, creative nonfiction does exist.
It may be true that it has undergone many name changes over the years- nonfiction novel, narrative non-fiction, literary journalism, literary non-fiction, and new journalism, however, they all lead us to the conclusion that no matter how confusing it sounds, creative nonfiction is still distinguishable from daily journalism, academic criticism, and critical biography.

The book also offers a primer on the practical business of drafting a business proposal as presented by Stanley Colbert, and a section about what happens after publication.
Finally, as the editors most aptly state: "as a final gift to the reader, we've included the `Creative Non-Fiction' reader offering the companion pieces and other exemplary essays to inspire, delight, reach, and simply to enjoy."

This review first appeared on the reviewer's own site: Bookpleasures.com

whilst one can not expect every chapter to be directly relevant, i found each of them thought provoking. this book has enabled me to view the genre, and my writing attempts, in a new light.

an essential read for anyone interested in writing narrative non-fiction.

I own a large pile of how-to-write books. Many of the books do not get you from here to there in terms of acquiring writing skills. Most give you a destination, but only a vague sense of how to get to that destination. It's like trying to go from your house to Oz, on a clear & sunny day.

Meredith's book is simple and excellent because it provides very clear directions & instructions for how to get to your writing destination.

When I was given this book, I had never been paid for my fiction. Now I make a living at it; in fact, since I started applying these principles to my fiction, I've never FAILED to sell a novel. I've sold nine so far.

This book contains everything you need to know.

When I first read this book, I was expecting it to be about writing stuff that publishers would buy. Well, it had that all right, but not until it went through what they ARE buying, what other genres there are, how others broke in to the business, etc. In other words, stuff you could find pretty much any other place you look. On the other hand, when it does get into the actual "writing" of the book, it gives good information and good techniques that I believe any good writer could use. Whether or not you actually want to get published is beyond the point - you can skip that part if you want to.

First appearing in 1950, and a hilarious 1974 introduction by the redoubtable Arthur C. Clarke, pioneering literary agent Scott Meredith's (I923-1993) Writing to Sell is an excellent tool for the aspiring writer. Meredith has a deep understanding of the marketplace (although some of his observations have become dated), as well as of what makes plots work (his original aspiration was to be a science fiction writer).He generalizes the successful plot as one in which an initial conflict is complicated to a climax, makes useful distinctions (e.g., between "incident" and "story") and gives many practical suggestions on novel writing and revising. (There is one chapter devoted to nonfiction.) Perhaps reflecting Meredith's financial success, there is a tendency to equate literary success entirely with sales reminiscent of Mickey Spillane's comment that what intellectuals don't understand is more people eat peanuts than caviar-or Tom Clancy's comment not to "commit art." Meredith's clients have included Norman Mailer, Ellery Queen, Robert Silverberg, and Philip K. Dick; and he was mentor to many agents and editors. With the qualification that his "just-sell-it" tonic may quash artistic originality, there is a lot to learn from his distillation of the American writing experience-which is no doubt why this book remains in print with Writer's Digest Books half a century after its initial publication. From the need to start off in a recognizable genre, to the importance of not skimping on the first draft and presenting likable characters with seemingly impossible problems, Meredith's work is a highly readable primer on the basic attributes of a salable novel. In short, although somewhat mercantile and dated,Writing to Sell is an excellent craft of writing work.

Now that I've read eight or nine how-to books on novel writing, I can say with certainty that this one, along with Sol Stein's, has had the greatest impact on me. Both of these men have significant experience as literary agents, so it behooves aspiring writers such as myself to pay greater heed to them than to writers who merely let us in on their personal secrets or academics who publish scholarly papers about fiction, but are unable to sell any themselves. Editors and literary agents are the ones who must be sold on the script in order for it to be published, after all.

What a wonderful resource! I checked this out at the library for my 2 year old son to combine with his lesson plan at home. Creating the letters together has helped him to understand what they mean. He loves to play with the crafts after I make them and at the end of the week I tape them to his wall to look at. It's such a great book! I will have to see if Judy Press has done others like it.

I love this book. My 4 year old twins look forward to the art projects everyday. Even my almost two year old participates! My favorite part is that the projects use items that any house with preschoolers will have: construction paper, glue, paint, empty toilet paper rolls, paper plates, ect. Don't skip out on the finger plays. My kids love to move like the animals they have made in the projects. A must have for parents of preschoolers!

This was a fun book to use with my daughter when she was learning her letters. It gave me lots of creative things to do for all the letters and my daughter loved doing all the crafts. We ended up tracing all the letters and decorating them as suggested and put them along the wall of the playroom. My younger son now always points to them on the wall and tries to sing his ABC's. I would definitely recommend it! It's a great, fun learning tool.

I obsessed over this book wile I was pregnant and finally bought it for my daughter's second birthday (it was really for me). She's 2 and half and, although she isn't coordinated enough to really do a whole lot on her own, we have great fun with this book. She pulls it down from the bookshelf herself and looks through it. The illustrations are great and the instructions are easy enough for an adult to follow. I delegate the gluing and some coloring to her and we discuss shapes and colors--as well as letters and numbers-- while assembling the pieces. While not all (but most) of the materials are easily found around the house, I have found the ones that aren't in dollar and discount stores for next to nothing. She loves watching ordinary household items like an empty toilet paper roll transform into an alligator with some tape, a marker, scissors, green paper and glue. Her eyes light up like I'm performing magic. I have read, in teachers' journals and the like, that children retain information better when it is presented in a way that emotionally impacts them. For myself and my child, this book was well worth it, and I intend to look into some other titles by this author and from Williamson. Publishing.

Great source for an Early Childhood Curriculum. This book gave me wonderful ideas on every letter of the alphabet. This book helped me plan lessonsfor my home toddler daycare. This book is a MUST HAVE for home daycare providers and home schooling parents.

I've probably read this book a dozen times from cover to dog-eared cover; my paperback copy is literally falling apart! I still open it sometimes just to read a couple of pages from the middle, and I'm always entertained by Ellerbee's wit.

Wit: a combination of rational intelligence and humour. Ellerbee displays both in abundance, and her writing style is pitch-perfect. She's worked in network news long enough to have seen all of it's strength and weaknesses, and long enough to have lived through one-too-many comical misadventures. Some of her anectodal experiences are downright hilarious:

Stealing Reagan's golf cart for a joyride. Spying on a button manufacturer from a rooftop across the street (to learn before the competing networks who'll be chosen vice president for a presidential campaign). Getting unintentionally stuck in the middle of a homecoming parade for the Iran hostages. Using dinner trays to "surf" down the aisle of a flying airplane. A rubber duck on the set. A "thing and a thing." And so it goes...

There are also some suprising revelations, such as Ellerbee's confession to a back-alley abortion, and her discovery that Ohio didn't become a state until 1954!

Read this book and be entertained... and simoultaneously enlightened about the field of broadcast journalism.

There can be few things more enriching, entertaining, and inspiring than merrily wending one's way through the fascinating memoirs of this legendary journalist. Ms. Ellerbee can now be seen on her marvelous news program for children on Nickelodeon, which is one of the greatest programs in the history of television. Ms. Ellerbee's thrilling story is sure to deeply touch all who read it, evoking both tears and laughter, often simultaneously. This is one of the greatest books in the history of the world, and should be on every required reading list in every institution of learning in the world.

It was a pleasure to read about another journalist's battle in succeeding in one of the most competitive field. If you want to know what a reporter has to go through, you'd want to read this one.

There are some books that should never be resigned to the dustbin and this is one of them. The message is timeless and, despite the humor, frightening. Ms. Ellerbee's wisdom is needed more today than it was back in 1988.

Direct, honest, and brilliantly written, Ellerbee's masterwork gives the reader an inside look into the world of broadcast journalism. Her 80's program NBC News Overnight was a unique vehicle for intelligent reporting and videography. It was the last show of its kind on network news TV which, if anything, has gotten worse since the writing of this book. When Ellerbee's Nickelodeon children's programs are more intelligently written than most of the so called "adult" news programs on TV, that's scary. It is unfortunately the case.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would! After dealing with the pain of Al-Kitaab for years, I was relieved when I began studying out of this book. All of the major authors in the Arab world are featured inside: Nizar Qabbani, Mahmoud Darwish, Imru al-Quais, Ibn Khaldoun, etc. It is perfect for the upper-intermediate/advanced Arabic student.

Dr. Bassam Frangieh's Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture, and Thought is an indispensable tool for the advanced student of Arabic. Since the advanced student expects to be able to converse with educated Arabs, he or she must be familiar with all the great names of classical Arabic literature and, with very few exceptions, the names with representative texts are all here: Imru' al-Qays, Ibn al-Muqaffa (whose "Kalila wa Dimna" is a brilliant marriage of Machiavelli's "The Prince" and "Aesop's Fables"), Al-Jahiz, Ibn Jinni, Abu Nuwas, Al-Mutanabbi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Sina, Al-Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyya, and Ibn Khaldun. More importantly, Dr. Frangieh has devoted almost half of the book to modern Arab poets, novelists, and critics. Any student conditioned to seeing the Arab-Islamic world through the lens of 9-11 and the issues of radical or political Islam will find enlightening and refreshing the selections by Adonis, Hisham Shirabi, Sadiq Jalal al-`Azm and their respective secular critiques of Arab society. Mahmud Amin al'Alim's "The Arabic Novel" and Idwar Kharrat's "Three Faces of Ghalib Halasah" will provide the student whose native language is English with exemplary models of the modern, expository styles of Arabic expression. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this collection is the heightened sense the student gains of the expressive and metaphorical potential of Arabic. For the student accustomed to associating the "poetic" in Arabic with the rich and florid classical style, Nizar Qabbani's "Arabian Love Poems" will introduce the student to the poet's modern metaphorical style that in a sense recaptured the secret of Abu Nuwas-that metaphysical and abstract truths are best expressed through creative juxtapositions of the immediate and sensible. All the selections in Dr. Frangieh's anthology are no more than 4-5 pages, easily readable in an evening's study, and will send the reader running to find the originals.

This book is exactly how I rated it, 5 stars. For a student studying Arabic, it's the best way to expand your vocabulary. All of the literature in the book is in Arabic with a glossary after the passage to help the student learn new words.

As for the diverse material covered in the Anthology, it has everything from Jahilliya love poetry to the Prophet's (pbuh) last sermon to certain excerpts from Andalusian and Medieval Sufis such as Ibn Rushd and Hallaj. It even covers some stories from Kalila wa Dimna.

The attached CD with the book is awesome as you can read along with the speaker to learn the proper pronounciation and rhythym of certain poetry. If you are tired of reading the same old Al-Kitaab part I/II/or III and you want to finally test and use your Arabic skills, get this book.

An awesome buy and highly recommended!!

To a student who has used in one form or another the Elementary Modern Standard Arabic book for more than 2 years, and who appreciates its usefulness as a grammar book, it simply cannot rival Frangieh's new book in terms of sheer challenge and enjoyment. Frangieh seeks to inform the reader not only of the language, but of literary works that have been pivotal in Arab culture. The works chosen span an inredible range in time and style, include the modern novel, as well as pre-Islamic poetry, and energize the reader with its invitation to discover the deftness and clarity of some of the language's most accomplished authors.

This is a solid, serious anthology of Arabic literature for advanced students and other intellectuals. The choice of authors and texts is excellent, as is the organized layout of the entire book. No detail has been spared in this authoritative and engrossing collection of Arabic texts.

The CD presents a scholarly reading of Arabic poetry, filled with musicality and artistic sense. Frangieh's reading captures the unique power of Arabic verse; each selection flows like a river of eloquent language.

Highly recommended!

Mark Warhol has given us a book full of very sound advice for writing real, maintainable applications. The programming tips are applicable to any language; I work mostly in Tcl/TK and Perl where Mark's advice holds just as well as in VB. It's a darn shame this one is now out of print. A note to Wiley & Sons: bring it back!

I really enjoyed this book which is more than I can say about most of the programming books I read. The author is humorous while his is delivering his message about responsible programming. He reminds us of the need to be consistent and sensible about the way we code - in the real world, other people eventually have to deal with our code and it can sometimes be very painful. In fact, we can save ourselves the pain of going back to work on code we wrote months ago only to find we can't understand it now. Follow the techniques in this book and save yourselve and others a lot of grief.

The copy of this book that I have is for VB 3 and I don't know if it has been updated, but it really doesn't matter, because the main points apply to all versions.

By following Mark's advice you can avoid months, even years of the blood, sweat, and tears he's already been through creating- and the more importantly- maintaining code. How much would you pay for that? This rich book is well worth the meager price

This and Code Complete are my favorite programming books, and I have read a bunch. This book is hilarious, his stories are out there. Covers a good number of real world difficulties that other books don't cover. I wish this guy would write more, he is a genius.

While dated in specific VB examples (it was written for VB3), this book is far more important in what it teaches you about the programming industry in general. It teaches how to write clean, structured code, and what to expect as a professional programmer. Anyone who writes code for a living should buy this book immediately, regardless of whether you're just out of school, or have been in the industry for years.

Wow! This book is a godsend for getting yourself organized and creating a strategy for promoting your book. I found it to be extremely informative, providing a wealth of great tips and advice for bringing a book to your intended audience. The author's experience comes through with clarity, empathy and humor. Brava, and Thank You to Carol Hoenig! She has provided a tool I am sure I will refer to again and again as I prepare to bring my work and my audience together.

Mary Greenwood, author of award-winning How to Mediate Like a Pro: 42 Rules for Mediating Disputes and How to Negotiate Like a Pro: 41 Rules for Resolving Disputes

I love this book about planning book events. As an author of two books myself, I got a lot of great ideas about launching events both outside and in bookstores. In addition, the author gives detailed descriptions and templates that she used in her own book events. I can see why this book has won awards. All authors have to market their books and this book is a must to give authors fresh and new ideas for their PR for their own books.

Most people think that writing a book is the hardest part of being an author - it's one of the easiest! Selling the darn thing after it has been written is the toughest part. If you are an aspiring author know this: There is no book-selling fairy and publishers can't sell your work either. It's the job of the author to get his/her work into the hands of the public. Carol Hoenig's new book is the perfect guide to how it should be done. in this book you will not find fancy tricks and make-believe exercises that will make you wonder why you ever put pen to paper. Instead, you'll find great examples of how it should be done. Carol makes it clear that book signings alone will not bring you the revenue that your hard work deserves. You must be creative and learn who your audience is, catering to their likes and dislikes. If you're a newbie author this book will give you the knowledge that would take 3 years to learn. If you're a seasoned keyboard tapper you'll find out why your book is not on the best-seller list and you'll learn what to do to get it there.

As a first time author Question Of The Day - Where Truth Is The Dare, I find myself full of enthusiasm and ideas. What I needed was a foundation to work off of. Carol Hoenig provides a blueprint that any self promoting author will benefit from.

Most important for me was finding out what to prioritize. Carol takes you through every aspect of planning your book event from the ground up in an extremely user-friendly manner. Carol speaks with a unique authority both as an experienced event coordinator and an author herself. Her perspective in this area is indispensable.

Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (11/07)

Carol Hoenig's "The Author's Guide to Planning Book Events" is an excellent guide to the author about to be published, and seasoned authors may also find some good ideas for their own book events.

Hoenig makes it very clear in the book that an author cannot sell books unless the author is willing to promote the books. She cites many authors who are willing to sit behind a desk and quietly sign books, but she makes it clear that book signings are often not effective. Authors must entertain their audiences by having book events. As an author myself, I have found that even a book signing is going to require some public speaking skill. People will approach you and ask what your book is about, and you must be able to describe your book in a couple of sentences that grab their attention or they will walk off without buying. Hoenig tells authors not to sit behind the table but stand and talk to passers-by. She also suggests doing creative activities like bringing holiday paper and wrapping books for customers at the holiday season.

Hoenig is an excellent source for information about book events, not only because she is an author and can tell us what worked and did not work for her, but more importantly, she is the former owner of a bookstore where she had many authors come to sign books and give presentations. She has worked with everyone from bestselling authors and publishers to unknown and up-and-coming authors, and she provides many examples of what works and does not work.

The real strength of Hoenig's book is she makes it clear YOU MUST DO EVENTS if you want to sell books. She understands many writers are shy, so she makes suggestions to help them, such as finding other writer friends to interview you before an audience, or doing events with other authors, so you are not by yourself. She also suggests linking up with artists or musicians to cross promote the arts and provide your self with a new audience.

The only aspect where I wish Hoenig suggested more was in addressing authors' shyness. She provided many suggestions for book events, but I felt she needed to spend more time helping authors improve their public-speaking skills, such as providing more examples of successful speeches and ways to describe your book to make it interesting and ways to overcome shyness. She needed to address how authors can overcome shyness and improve their public persona and public-speaking skills. I am surprised she did not recommend authors go to Toastmasters or similar groups for public speaking.

Overall, I would recommend "The Author's Guide to Planning Book Events" to other authors, especially new authors. Then I would suggest they find a way to practice the activities Hoenig suggests and to get friends to come to their events and give them feedback on what was and was not successful. The bottom line: to sell books, YOU MUST DO BOOK EVENTS! And you must also figure out how to do them well.

This book is perfect for someone who knows nothing about signing. It is an easy, fast read. This is the only signing book I have read so far and probably will be my last. Most of the signs that are relevant to baby and day to day life are in this book. Reccomended to all moms!

After looking around at many books on baby signing, we eventually decided to purchase 'Baby Signing for Dummies'. We are so pleased that we did! This book is so well-written and easy to read, not like a textbook at all! You can tell that this book was written by a mother, it is practical, full of good advice, funny and most of all realistic! I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about baby signing.

Great book, this has been very helpful communicating with our young grandchildren!!!

A must have for parents wanting to sign with their children. Easy to use. It is easy to jump right into the signing without reading the entire book, quick easy reference. This book has been very helpful in teaching my daughter to sign. Great starting point. Also true ASL signs.

This book is a great way to learn sign language and teach your babies/kids. My now 20 month old is able to tell me what she needs and there is much less frustration in the house than I had with my first child at this age. My 4 1/2 year old and my 20 month old can communicate with each other as well through signs. I love this book and it has started me on a path of learning/teaching more signs. You can't go wrong with it - even if you only use one sign from it (you don't have to remember them all to have your life easier by using signs).

The word "creole" carries many connotations. Along the US Gulf Coast, it's a language, a people and a music form - not to mention a cuisine. To Derek Bickerton, the first category is the important one, even if this is the one place he failed to investigate in his research. A fascinating account of personal history and intense research, this book examines the roots and meaning of Creole languages. The Oxford Dictionary offers four definitions, but language is the last one: a mother tongue formed from the contact of a European language with another language, especially an African language. In this account it is this "mother tongue" that Bickerton wishes to trace and define. He does so in a manner that would leave most academic linguists shuddering, visiting bars, poverty-stricken communities and remote villages in the bush.

The places are where the forces of empire have trod, bringing in imported labour to work plantations, mostly sugar. The names evoke exotic locales - Guyana, Suriname, Caribbean Islands and Hawaii. The imported workforces were from many points of origin - many of them African where separation of a few kilometres meant "neighbours" were unintelligible to each other. All the newcomers had to communicate with each other and with the masters. This is a key point in Bickerton's account. "Pidgin" is the first language arising from two people of a single language each attempting to communicate. It has no particular form nor vocabulary. "Creole", on the other hand evolves from pidgin to emerge as a fully-fledged operating language. Form and structure are essential aspects carrying the language through time, and sometimes space. The "space" element has led to some confusion, according to the author, who examines closely the theory of "diffusion" of Creole, chiefly from the Atlantic into the Pacific regions. His analysis explains why diffusion could not be the basis for the continuity of Creoles. Instead, his research in Hawaii demonstrates why he thinks Creoles are a children's invention.

It's common knowledge now that adults have a far more difficult time learning a new language than do children. Canada's schools' "immersion" programmes are a prime example of this situation. In the societies Bickerton examined, "immersion" means sending "Creole" speakers to English-language schools. Where they spoke Creole among themselves - even in class. The Creole spoken had grammar and vocabulary that proved common in many places. The author, who must be the world's best-travelled linguist, visited places as distant as the Seychelles to learn just how this situation unfolded. His conclusion, which still confounds many desk-bound academics, is that the human brain contains a "bioprogramme" [read "genetically-based" ] capacity. This is, of course, means an evolutionary heritage, which will prompt a moue of displeasure to those still denying our roots. It also dismisses the idea of children being born as "blank slates" - which has been dealt with elsewhere. It also gives greater substance to Noam Chomsky's "language module" in the brain. Bickerton notes that the recent studies in cognitive neuroscience have not identified such a region in the brain. However, something in the child's neuronal network gives children a highly flexible and creative capacity to cope with the challenges of learning language - at least in the earlier years.

It is that ability in the very young that Bickerton wishes to investigate. His conclusion is a proposal to test his theories on young orphan children. In a sense, this has already taken place in Nicaragua where long-ignored and isolated deaf children were finally given schooling and communication opportunities with the overthrow of the Somoza regime. Bickerton understands the limitations in such a situation. He wishes to experiment on children who have speaking capacity, but have yet to possess skills in a particular language. The idea is bound to raise a storm of controversy - indeed, it already has in some reviewers. But Bickerton has anticipated most objections in his presentation. Not only will the staff be monitored - and they will have to be very well trained - but his proposal will offer provision for the subjects for many years. He doesn't mention long-term follow-up studies which would necessarily become part of the programme. That would enlarge his estimated costs, but would certainly enlarge the accumulated data substantially. Given the normal course of orphans' lives, there's more than a little merit in the idea. More importantly, it would help resolve many of the questions about human language capacity and how it develops. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Derek Bickerton's Bastard Tongues full title, Bastard Tongues: A Trail-Blazing Linguist Finds Clues to Our Common Humanity in the World's Lowliest Languages, really is the thesis of this magnificent work.

The book is not a general introduction to linguistics, thank God, nor is it a primer on Creole languages. I took away 3 very important things from this book, and I bet I have missed a few more.

First, Creoles are full fledged languages formed in the awful context of sugar plantation colonial era slavery. They are not dialects of either the colonizer's language, be it Dutch, English, Portugese, etc, nor are they a masked over grammar of the slave's various African native languages. They are languages that are developed by the young children in a given region, whose innate language acquistion brain circuits, found in all normal children, regardless of economic circumstance, add a grammar to a pidgin that developes when adults speaking a polyglot of languages are forced into dire circumstances where they have to communicate and quickly.

On his own point of reference, Derek Bickerton somewhere in the book partially describes himself with this phrase: "...the Populist in me...", and this book is a tribute to that point of view. Bickerton goes out and interviews real speakers, does first-hand research into court transcripts of now lost dialects, and uses his common sense to see for himself, hear for himself, and think for himself, only to discover that what ideas get formed in an academic setting usually miss the mark and underestimate the innate abilities of every man, woman and child. By having the courage to trust the humble speakers of Creole languages, above his own theoretical musings and that of other experts, Bickerton arrives at one of the great world views: we are, in fact, perfectly designed to thrive in this world, on our own, thank you.

Third, The book is a tribute to the wonderful mystery of our own existence and capabilities as humans. For if slaves and their children, facing hardship, violence, starvation and a terribly shortened life-span and life opportunities, in a foriegn place, far from their homes and families, can, in a short amount of time, produce a full blown language, than is it really so hard for the rest of us to just observe with our eyes and listen with our ears to what other wonders are out there in this world?

And the author and his family carry on a blast of a lifestyle we can all envy, too!

We all love a mystery, especially a big one, and the mystery of the origins of language is still a big one. Language is our most human invention. We start to talk before we start to walk. It seems so natural within the human experience that we look for it in other species and build it into our machines. Language allows us, not only to communicate but, to refine our thoughts before we even speak and in the process change the way we think. We see language as another indicator of how intelligent we really are; but is language our own clever invention or is it the result of a biological template we all possess that makes talking trash as natural as walking tall?

"Bastard Tongues" by Derek Bickerton proposes an answer to this provocative question in a charming and funny memoir of his studies abroad. That rare academic with a preference for field work, Bickerton, with his trusty tape recorder by his side, has parked himself in the middle of things all over the world to hear those "funny" languages spoken by the people who use them every day. In the process he makes you regret whatever career choice you may have made and wish that you had been smart enough to have chosen linguistics. Bickerton has spent his life answering opportunity's knock to study creole languages everywhere and the consequence of this lifetime of research is a fascinating theory that changes the way we view ourselves and the tool we use so often that we rarely give it any thought at all.

In "Bastard Tongues", Bickerton uses creole to illustrate how fundamental language really is. Children invent it. Creole languages exist all over the world using different root languages but essentially all recognizably creole and related by grammar and structure, not the language of the individual words used. Creole languages evolved wherever two or more different cultures were forced to agree on a pidgin form of their languages, simply to communicate, and their children took that skeleton and fleshed it out with all the richness and complexity of creole in just one generation. According to Bickerton's theory, the worldwide existence of creole languages demonstrates clearly that humans possess a bio-program for language. He presents all of this in a delightfully entertaining new book.

Bickerton shares with us this fascinating journey of discovery as it takes him from the jungles of South America to the halls of academia, providing all of the humor and historical perspective necessary to thoroughly enjoy his astounding adventure. We all love a mystery and the mystery of language and what it can tell us about mankind is only now being revealed by talented people like Derek Bickerton. "Bastard Tongues" is a true story that convincingly argues the importance of the study of linguistics. Bickerton's gift is to leave you wanting more.

When I picked up Derek Bickerton's latest book, "Bastard Tongues", I expected to find a scholarly treatise on the origins and journeys of the so-called low languages, and I wasn't disappointed. What I had not expected was to be entertained, intrigued and delighted to be taken on a magical journey, with a master story-teller as my guide.

Bickerton does a masterly job of tracing the roots (and routes) of pidgin languages from such diverse origins as West Africa and Northern South America, the Seychelles and Hawaii, and asking the question - why they produce so many words and phrases in common, without any known previous contact.

But it's Derek Bickerton's own fact-finding journey that provides the entertainment in this book. Part scholarly tome, part travelogue, part autobiography, "Bastard Tongues" is a plain-spoken and frequently disrepectful memoir, replete with hilarious tales of the tribulations of a language detective. Whether slogging through the bush in Guyana, carousing with the creoles in Columbian bars, or careening across deserts in the most precarious forms of transportation in search of a thread to link the most basic forms of communication, Bickerton keeps one entertained and delighted from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down.

This book was reviewed in the NY Times, LA times and Washington Post all on the same day. For some reason, Amazon only posts the Washington Post review and not the other ones, which I think were much more accurate.

The last sentence of the Washington Post review leaves the impression that the book may be a slog for non-linguists - but I have to say the opposite is true. I know next to nothing about linguistics, but found the linguistic parts to be very understandable and informative. Most of the book is about characters, situations and little known bits of intriguing history, woven together in a compelling way. It's not often that you want to read a non-fiction book all in one go, but this book was impossible to put down.

The writer's love of travel and ideas and his genuine interest in the people and world he encounters is positively infectious. Reading the book made me want to dump my job and go back to school to start a new vocation - something Derek Bickerton himself did. Just take a look at the LookInside pages and see for yourself.

Finally a decent book for young writers starting out. This book covers some of the more advanced techniques. Also don't forget to check out the second book in this collection. Containing even more of the great writing techniques featured in this book. This book will take your work to the next level. This book contains hundreds of tips and activities.[...].

Ever wished you could hire an expert to "fire up" your reluctant writers and get them excited about writing? "Be a Writer: Your Guide to the Writing Life" is the next best thing -- it's a self-help book written for tweens and teens and the author, Steve Peha, is the kid-friendly writing coach we've wished for.

Activity suggestions are sprinkled throughout the chapters, but this is not a textbook in the typical sense... think of it more as a paperbacked motivational writing seminar. This book is a great choice for students who are reluctant writers by nature. It could also be good therapy for students who have lost their excitement for writing after years of prescriptive school assignments (such as book reports and 5 paragraph essays). If your student is already a prolific writer, take a look at the next book in the series -- "Be a Better Writer" by Steve Peha.

-- homeschooling parent and "waitress" at[...]

This book is an excellent resource for writers at all levels. It reads a bit like a "Writing for Dummies" but even better. Fun and engaging. The tips, activities and examples are clearly identified and well-matched with chapter content. Each chapter begins with a list of things you need to know (if you decided not to read it) which gets the reader directly to the point.

It is recommended for 12 - 18 year-olds, but it is presented in such an engaging manner it could serve a much broader audience.

Looking for a jumpstart in your writing career, young writers? This simply written, clearly organized guide gives practical strategies to remove writers' block and focus your writing endeavors. Whether you are writing your first great novel, a memoir, an essay or a book review, the helpful tips and tricks presented here will take the anxiety out of getting started.
Particularly useful are the sections at the beginning of each Chapter entitled 10 Things You Need to Know Even if You Don't Read This Chapter. The young writers in our house have devoured this guide and received valuable inspiration and coaching.

TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW EVEN IF YOU DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER - This is how each of the eleven chapters of "Be a Writer" begins. This valuable book will help bridge the gap between wanting to be a writer and actually Being a Writer. And I doubt that it will stop there, as you'll find this a handy reference guide that you can return to time and time again.

"Be a Writer" just about covers it all, from writing an essay - drafting, revising, editing - all the way through to tackling the task of writing your first novel. I found the second part of chapter 2: "Pre-Writing to be Writing" a very sound way for anyone to tap into their creative reserves. This is a practice that I've been faithful to since the beginning of my writing career, and it has yet to fail me. Better yet, Pre-Writing has been the precursor to each of my eight novels. - Mel Mathews - Author of LeRoi, Menopause Man, SamSara...