{"product_id":"9780062417442_the-mother-tongue","title":"The Mother Tongue","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Vastly informative and vastly entertaining…A scholarly and fascinating book.” —\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWith dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom 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 explores English grammar and word origins as he 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat makes the English language so maddening—and so endlessly fascinating?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Witty History of Language:\u003c\/b\u003e Follow English on its uproarious journey from a second-rate tongue of peasants into a global phenomenon, all guided by Bill Bryson’s celebrated humor.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePronunciation and Spelling:\u003c\/b\u003e Uncover the baffling logic (and lack thereof) behind English spelling and pronunciation, from silent letters to the many ways to say “ough.”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAmerican and British English:\u003c\/b\u003e Explore the delightful and often confusing differences that separate the two great dialects of the English-speaking world.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSurprising Linguistics:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the answers to questions you never thought to ask, like the origins of swearing and the real reason you can talk but your dog can’t.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Bill Bryson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46908382511253,"sku":"9780062417442","price":16.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780062417442_90d85554-75df-44c8-9007-a73406c5d91d.jpg?v=1776889748","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780062417442_the-mother-tongue","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}