'Mother Tongue' by Bill Bryson 

Book Review

"Imposing Latin rules on English structure is a little like trying to play baseball in ice skates."

'Mother Tongue' is an entertaining look at the English language by travel journalist and writer Bill Bryson. This is an enthusiastic overview of the complexities and eccentricities of English, as well as a look at its origins, history and place in today's multilingual world. 

Along the way, Bryson attempts some comparison of English with other languages, including French, Chinese and Irish Gaelic. Some anecdotes, such as that Chinese newspapers lack crosswords (because Chinese has no alphabet) are fascinating, others however are plain incorrect. Esperanto does not lack a definite article for example. 

There are other mistakes, such as the claim that the Inuit have fifty or more words for 'snow' or that French lacks a word for 'home' (there is in fact 'domicile'). 

Bryson, however, is nothing if not both affectionate and engaging in his writing on what is, after all, a huge subject. It is not merely fascinating, but very much useful, for the English speaker to know why it is we spell and speak as we do. Context brings understanding. 

'Mother Tongue' also provides the reader with pause for thought. There is a sincere argument for preserving the irregularities in English spelling, and musings on the current domination of English across the world and its impact on smaller language communities.

Like its subject, 'Mother Tongue' is, not without its minor deficiencies, yet ultimately broad, rich and even satisfying. A must-read for English speakers everywhere!