Shop top categories that ship internationally
Buy new:
-20% $15.19
Delivery Thursday, January 23
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$15.19 with 20 percent savings
List Price: $18.99
FREE International Returns
No Import Fees Deposit & $9.66 Shipping to Netherlands Details

Shipping & Fee Details

Price $15.19
AmazonGlobal Shipping $9.66
Estimated Import Fees Deposit $0.00
Total $24.85

Delivery Thursday, January 23. Order within 8 hrs 25 mins
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, January 22
In Stock
$$15.19 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.19
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$14.18
FREE International Returns
Used - Good: all pages and cover are intact. Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust-jackets, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media. Used - Good: all pages and cover are intact. Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust-jackets, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media. See less
Delivery February 7 - 27
Or fastest delivery January 30 - February 21
$$15.19 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.19
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

John H. McWhorter
Follow
John McWhorter
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language Paperback – January 1, 2003

by John McWhorter (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 564 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.19","priceAmount":15.19,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"19","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ur6qTs0Nq00LWtwA0xkrKO%2FPxdrq5GvJusNtRmUYaQ6WKOZyJ%2B2dUs%2FBp%2BBewbMA9KRy6YmCAo7OvRqx1Y7hm%2BygrT%2B8Cn0trhaep5vX%2FodBZmvRNPnN%2F5UlPmUw8HZOqnuIBTEqr4w%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$14.18","priceAmount":14.18,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"18","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ur6qTs0Nq00LWtwA0xkrKO%2FPxdrq5GvJ%2Fn1K%2FUk5st7uGC3SmqKv9ZLys3BBaXrBZZQps6DFf2YrMhsGy6v1ycLU7QrUQk8B3nt7EWP115cXQH4usEZigPEaR9I0UkgkObNKYE0aMSd94DMjN4X1CPwOWrKKRCvKp9cr%2BPS4okzVRnOTSG45Gw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“An essay in origins … as theoretical as Hawking and Gorst in trying to see into the deep past. McWhorter is a clear and witty writer.”— Harper’s

In the first book written for the layperson about the natural history of language, linguistic professor John McWhorter ranges across linguistic theory, geography, history, and pop culture to tell the fascinating story of how thousands of very different languages have evolved from a single, original source in a natural process similar to biological evolution.

There are approximately six thousand languages on Earth today, each a descendant of the tongue first spoken by Homo sapiens some 150,000 years ago. While laying out how languages mix and mutate over time, linguistics professor John McWhorter reminds us of the variety within the species that speaks them, and argues that, contrary to popular perception, language is not immutable and hidebound, but a living, dynamic entity that adapts itself to an ever-changing human environment. Full of humor and imaginative insight, The Power of Babel draws its illustrative examples from languages around the world, including pidgins, Creoles, and nonstandard dialects.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    January 1, 2003
  4. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.79 x 8 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    006052085X
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0060520854
  7. See all details
Next slide of product details

Frequently bought together

The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
This item: The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
$15.19
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English
$12.74
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World
$12.69
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
564 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book informative and insightful about language. They describe it as a fabulous, worthwhile read with amusing anecdotes and witty observations. However, some readers feel the pop culture references are annoying and cringeworthy. Opinions differ on the language study, with some finding it skilled at using language to describe language and a good book for beginning linguists, while others say it's not a static entity.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Language contentValue for moneyHumorLanguage studyPop culture references
36 customers mention "Language content"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and interesting about language. They appreciate the author's explanation of exciting concepts on how language develops and changes over time. The book provides ample examples of how languages change over time and explains that they don't.

"The most amazing and influential book in my life" Read more

"An interesting, informative book. How one language divetged to many. Dialects, Pigin languages and more." Read more

"...that there is no "correct" dialect of a language, that linguistic biodiversity is important, and so on...." Read more

"i appreciated that the author seemed to be familiar with many languages and for every point he was making gave examples from several language..." Read more

29 customers mention "Value for money"26 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They find it interesting and enjoyable, with an informal writing style when needed. The author makes what could be dull into a highly enjoyable read.

"The most amazing and influential book in my life" Read more

"...But this was a fabulous book that I intend to read again and maybe a third time. Thank you, Professor McWhorter!!!" Read more

"Great thanks!" Read more

"...I also enjoyed the book itself...." Read more

20 customers mention "Humor"20 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the author's humorous anecdotes, side stories, and witty observations. They find the book entertaining, with playful footnotes and inside jokes about TV sitcoms.

"An interesting, informative book. How one language divetged to many. Dialects, Pigin languages and more." Read more

"...(There are enough inside jokes about TV sitcoms that you wonder how the guy found time to write.)..." Read more

"...exposition, I liked his cute little anecdotes, side-stories, and witty observations. I even loved his chapter titles and subtitles...." Read more

"...His personality engages the listener with a self-deprecating humor, charming and funny...." Read more

44 customers mention "Language study"30 positive14 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it well-written and suitable for beginning linguists, with a conversational style and personal anecdotes. Others feel that the content is poorly written and technical at times.

"...Sentences that are three words long? I liked his ideas, I liked his exposition, I liked his cute little anecdotes, side-stories, and witty..." Read more

"...One can easily tell he is very smart and passionate about this subject...." Read more

"...A couple of take-home messages are important. First, all languages are in constant change, and it is unreasonable to expect otherwise...." Read more

"...His personality engages the listener with a self-deprecating humor, charming and funny...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pop culture references"0 positive4 negative

Customers find the pop culture references in the book annoying and cringeworthy. They say the references are too many, dated poorly, and cringeworthy in some cases.

"...is an American and he includes so many inside jokes and and pop cultural references that it seems it is really targeted at an American audience..." Read more

"...The author included pop-culture references that have dated terribly...." Read more

"...The footnotes and pop culture references are often cringeworthy...." Read more

"...The pages are heavily laden with pop culture references and autobiographical anecdotes, so much so that one easily loses track of exactly what the..." Read more

Unreadable
1 out of 5 stars
Unreadable
Wasted ten bucks on this version. It is unreadable on Kindle or the app. It behaves like a poor quality scan of the book rather than a true Kindle version. Trying to change the font size on my Kindle doesn’t help and zooming in on the iOS app is not a good experience.This is definitely not worth $9.99+. Wish I could get my money back but alas, it’s a digital purchase and I failed to check the “Look Inside” feature :-(
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The most amazing and influential book in my life
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • R.T
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting, informative book. How one language divetged to many. Dialects,
    Pigin languages and more.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jeffrey S. Bonwick
    4.0 out of 5 stars Language as Form of Life
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2002
    Verified Purchase
    McWhorter's central thesis is that the evolution of language is similar to the evolution of life. Languages, like plants and animals, appear static over short time periods but change dramatically over long ones. From this thesis he draws several conclusions by analogy: that there is no "correct" dialect of a language, that linguistic biodiversity is important, and so on.
    I accept the evolutionary model of language, but I disagree with many of McWhorter's conclusions. Evolution requires two things to drive it: chance mutations and selective pressure. Chance mutations were frequent in ancient times because communication was largely oral. Writing greatly slowed the rate of mutation, however, and global communication is slowing it further. We no longer live in isolated villages where speciation can take place undisturbed. Selective pressures have changed dramatically as well: I would argue that the most significant selective force operating on written works today is Google. That which is not found is not read, and therefore dies. So how do you make your works more findable? By using standard keywords, standard phrasing, and correct spelling, in English.
    ...Stylistically, the book's biggest flaw is its repetitiveness. The analogy between linguistic and biological evolution is a good one, but it is also largely self-evident. The author tries too hard to convince, apparently failing to realize that if we're on page 20, we must have accepted the first 19 pages to some degree.
    The book is full of interesting anecdotes and variously humorous pop-culture references. (There are enough inside jokes about TV sitcoms that you wonder how the guy found time to write.) The most interesting examples, to me, were the ones that showed how differently a concept can be expressed in different languages...
    One other quibble I have is organizational: there isn't much of a narrative here, more a collection of examples. Each one is interesting in its own right, but the author never seems to bring it home. I kept waiting for him to start putting the pieces together and telling a story. It never happened.
    Despite these complaints, the fact remains that I did finish the book, I did enjoy reading it, and I came away with a greater appreciation of the true diversity of language.
    32 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • EJC
    5.0 out of 5 stars clear, easy to follow while still bring highly informative.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    i appreciated that the author seemed to be familiar with many languages and for every point he was making gave examples from several language families.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Mark Meyer
    5.0 out of 5 stars He confirms many of my beliefs about language!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2002
    Verified Purchase
    I really loved this book, and am dismayed by those who decry it. Come on! McWhorter's writing is excellent and challenging. What do some people expect? Sentences that are three words long? I liked his ideas, I liked his exposition, I liked his cute little anecdotes, side-stories, and witty observations. I even loved his chapter titles and subtitles.
    He confirms what I've long suspected, that a lot of this "garbage" (which he calls "dammits") that we have to learn in many language such as Latin and German are mere bells and whistles, senseless accretions that do not help communication. McWhorter's use of creoles and pidgins to make his points, all the way up to the very end with his speculations on the very first language, were thrilling! I learned so much that I never got elsewhere.
    Moreover, McWhorter doesn't rely on English too much, though he doesn't completely ignore it, either. It is fun to be challenged to go outside of our own language, even outside the Indo-European family, in order to learn linguistic points. Bravo!
    Now I must say that I found one interesting mistake. On page 186 he gives the gender of the German eating utensils incorrectly. It is "die Gabel," "der Loeffel," not the other way around. Much later he gets Gabel correct (p. 229). No big deal. In fact, I thought maybe he was trying to make a point of the mistake by saying, "See how senseless genders really are?" Oh well. I didn't find any other mistakes though I only know Indo-European stuff, and have no clue about Native American languages or Chinese or elsewhere.
    But this was a fabulous book that I intend to read again and maybe a third time. Thank you, Professor McWhorter!!!
    19 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Jasper Spaulding
    5.0 out of 5 stars Très enrichissant
    Reviewed in France on April 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    En anglais, très intéressant.
    A noter: l'auteur vante (à très juste titre sauf à mon avis pour l'arabe catastrophique) les "magic books" d'Assimil. Et utilise Astéix pour ses illustrations;
    Report
  • Oscar Oliverio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Languages diversity
    Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting book to start knowing changes dialects into languages and languages diversity.
    Oscar Oliverio
    Report
  • Mauro Barbosa de Oliveira
    5.0 out of 5 stars Muito interessante
    Reviewed in Brazil on December 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Análise histórica muito interessante de como as diversas línguas e dialetos se misturam e se transformam ao longo do tempo. Também permite conhecer um pouco de regras gramaticais inusitadas em línguas mais distantes da nossa.
    Report
  • F. Xavier
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente lectura.
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 20, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    El profesor McWorther demuestra ser uno, una vez más, de los investigadores lideres del lenguaje. Totalmente recomendable.
    Customer image
    F. Xavier
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente lectura.
    Reviewed in Mexico on March 20, 2019
    El profesor McWorther demuestra ser uno, una vez más, de los investigadores lideres del lenguaje. Totalmente recomendable.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    Customer image
    Report
  • Ishan Kurade
    4.0 out of 5 stars Natural History of Language
    Reviewed in India on June 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Must read for language freaks.
    Report