Customer Reviews

The Social Art: Language and Its Uses

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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I found this a decent, though not outstanding, survey of linguistics. I'd hand it to a monolinguistic English speaker who was curious about linguistics. I wouldn't hand it to a multilingual or to someone who already knows something about the subject. In fact, I'm far more satisfied with David Crystal's Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language as a survey both for browsing and the more serious lay reader.

I suppose my real complaint *is* that the book is oriented toward monolinguistic English speakers, which I am not. I feel a more interesting introduction to linguistics would have included more on other languages. Not bad, mind you, but understand its limitations.

This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in language or linguistics at any level of discipline. Macaulay's style is informative and approachable--how refreshing it is to read a book on the topic of language that utilizes an easily approachable one! The chapters are quite short but make their points and present their theories clearly and succinctly, never drudging out boring pedantry just to fill pages. His is a very down-to-earth style and approach to this often lofty topic.

I loved this book because it was easier to read than my other two Anthropology 104 textbooks, Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation and The workings of language.

The best feature of this book is the glossary, which gives you meanings to some of the most used terms in the book. It has 33 chapters and it reads quickly like an elementary school english textbook.