You and your language (A Spectrum book)

I positively loved this book as a senior in high school. It was outside reading, not a text book, and I devoured it.You and Your Language discusses the basic building blocks of human language, including the various sounds and meaning elements, the grammar, and how communication takes place. It also pays specific attention to English, looking at the linguistic roots and structure, and comparing the original words from Anglo-Saxon with those borrowed from French and other languages. It describes the origins and function of slang, how bureaucratese develops, and one way to analyze Black English.Describing the subject in technical terms does no justice to the book: It really is fun to read! If you have any interest in words and language and how people think and communicate, but you don't have a technical background in English or languages, then this is the book for you.I don't think I have seen this subject ever described more clearly and simply than Prof. Baird did in this book. I recommend it highly to high school and college students especially who fancy a career in literature or writing, because the book contains so much directly useful information. It is also a model of English prose. I also recommend it highly to anyone else who wants to learn about language for any reason. Although initially published in 1973, the book contains facts and insights that haven't changed. I credit this book with giving me the fundamentals of understanding language, which has helped me read other books about language. I believe I was several weeks ahead in my college introductory linguistics course because the concepts were familiar to me -- because I had read this book. Bottom line: If you can get the book, you'll love it!