Life of a Language Legend

Earlier this week, I finished 'Just a Phrase I'm Going Through: My Life in Language' by venerable linguist and writer David Crystal.  Earlier today, I finished writing a post about it, which unfortunately got swallowed by Blogger.  An extreme ellipsis that had me using some choice language I can tell you.  Anyway, here we go again!

Book 128:
'Just a Phrase I'm
Going Through:
My Life in Language'
by David Crystal
(Routledge, 2009)

In 'Just a Phrase I'm Going Through', Professor Crystal gives us a snapshot of what it means to be a linguist.  Driven by a passion for language and a boundless curiosity, he follows a childhood in North Wales and Liverpool with an academic career at University College London and later the universities of Reading and Bangor.  Seizing the opportunities presented by the burgeoning new science of Linguistics, he is able to explore and expand a range of fields and interests, including speech therapy, grammar and language teaching.  Following government cuts in the 1980s, however, Professor Crystal decides to leave academia, but this is far from the end of his linguistics journey.  He finds new roles, including broadcaster, consultant, writer and encyclopedia compiler, applying his endless energy to an ongoing quest to make knowledge accessible and encourage the public's interest in the words and language they use everyday.  It is a route Professor Crystal still follows.

To me, this book was the antithesis of the typical celebrity biography.  Rather than the author being the star of the show, language, Linguistics and Professor Crystal's ongoing passion for them both was centre stage.  His private life is often the catalyst for his work, but on the whole it took a comfortable back seat and is not the main focus of the book.  This means that the reader is able to learn something about Professor Crystal without feeling like they're intruding.

Professor Crystal was a bit of a legend for my A Level English Language group and 'It's Just a Phrase I'm Going Through' reminded me of how I felt about Linguistics in my late teens.  How much it fascinated me and how wonderful it was to have the freedom to study this amazing subject.  Thanks to him, we could pursue our interest because we had access to informative, well written and highly readable books on the subject.  We didn't have to wade through the tomes that almost put him off at our age, so, thank you, Professor.

Overall, this is a funny, interesting, touching, informative book which should appeal to anyone with an interest in the study of language or the Professor himself.  It tends to follow themes rather than exact chronology, but the writer's deft, accessible style means you never feel lost.  In fact, most of the time I was completely absorbed and found Professor Crystal's positivity and enthusiasm for life completely infectious.  I was sad to finish the book and look forward to reading more by him in the future.  Just as well really, I have at least three other books by him...

Now, from one book by a bearded man about a bearded man to another.  Bernard Cornwell's been chronicling Uhtred again!

Journo Wheeze!

I've just taken a little detour and read the short but sweet 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' by Robert Hutton.

'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is a collection of journalese - the words and phrases that only ever appear in the Great British press or have particular meanings in the print media.  The pages of this book are full of phrases so familiar to anyone who has read a UK newspaper that their idiosyncrasy has almost become invisible.  But this isn't a serious academic study.  Examples such as fat cat, funnyman, love rat,  fashionistas, U-turn, flagship, barrage of criticism, Champagne lifestyle and more are each accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek definition, many of which are very funny indeed.

This book is a fascinating peek behind the veil of ink and paper into the newsroom itself.  I've had a suspicion for a while that there was almost a code to using these words and phrases, but it was still a surprise to find out that there sort of is!  It is an intriguing must-read for anyone training to be a journalist or with an interest in language or the media. 

But before you rush out to buy a copy, I have to say that unfortunately, I do think 'Romps, Tots and Boffins' is overpriced and risks limiting its audience as a result, which is a real shame.  Bearing in mind that 'Weird Things Customers say in Bookshops' cost me £7.99 and was a lot more varied, I don't think this book is worth its RRP of £9.99.  But then again, it may be much cheaper when it comes out in paperback.

Overall, I think there is a readership which would really enjoy this book, but I think the initial price will put them off.  Hopefully it will be much cheaper in paperback and will find its way into a lot of stockings for Christmas 2014.

Now back to 'The Pagan Lord'!

Alex - What a Cracker!

Blimey, this time of year is hard work.  The short days and gloomy weather make everything so draining.  I can't even relax with a book.  Well, I can, but I tend to relax just a bit too much, more often than not falling asleep with a couple of pages!

'Alex and Me'
by Irene M. Pepperberg
(Scribe, 2013)

Anyway, I have managed to read one book this month.  I've just finished 'Alex and Me' by Irene M. Pepperberg, kindly provided by the good people at newbooks magazine.

'Alex and Me' is the true story of one woman and her parrot, a very special African Grey called Alex.  Dr Pepperberg began as a chemist, but her lifelong love of parrots inspired her to develop an interest in animal cognition and, in particular, whether parrots could acquire language.  Encouraged by contemporary studies on ape communication, in 1977 she hatched a plan to study Alex and see if birds were capable of more than just mimicry.  Although the scientific community thought Dr Pepperberg was out of her tree, Alex proved time and again that he was more than just a bird brain.  Over a 30 year career, Alex astonished researchers and challenged long held assumptions about language and humanity.  But it was far from an easy ride.  This is a story of how one scientist and one ball of feathers followed their instincts and overcame the odds to change accepted theories for good.


Alex is probably already a familar character to anyone who has studied English and language acquisition.  I first heard about him while studying for an A Level in English Language, so got very excited when I saw this book on the list for review. But don't worry that this is a text book, far from it.  Although the science does have to be explained, it's done with care to ensure the lay reader doesn't get lost.

This book will appeal to animal lovers as well as language nerds.  Although written by a scientist, Dr Pepperberg clearly loves her feathered friends and her affinity with fellow bird fanciers comes through loud and clear throughout the book.

This book as a nice tone to it.  It's somehow chatty and confiendential, but also almost nervous, as if Dr Pepperberg wasn't comfortable writing for a general audience about things so personal.  While charming, to me this was the book's weakness however.  This is a good story, but as a book I think it would've worked better with a different structure.  It is an easy read, but there was part of me that felt that a journalist or ghost writer could've made it even better and appealing to readers other than language students and bird lovers.  I have to be honest and say that I nearly gave up a few pages into the first chapter, which talks about the worldwide reaction to Alex's unexpected death and felt it lost its way a bit again towards the end.  While it was lovely to see how people across the globe reacted to the sad news, it was hard to keep feeling sympathy when I hadn't even met Alex yet and got to know this unlikely pioneer.  I can see how readers with no previous knowledge of him would be tempted to give up altogether at this early stage.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you fall into either of the categories above.  While not quite a cracker, it's a nice read that will help bring the subject of animal cognition to life.

I hear that there are plans for a film of Alex's life and I look forward to it.

Now, back to Bernard Cornwell and that naughty Northumbrian!