Sue Baker's view...

A book that manages to be both informative and fun to read, a look at language starting with the most basic question – Why can we talk? J P Davidson considers what we’ve used for writing – everything from clay tablets to our modern day tablets, scrolls to txting on mobile phones. He looks at languages, real and invented and looks forward in time to what the future holds for the words we speak and write.

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Synopsis

'The way you speak is who you are and the tones of your voice and the tricks of your emailing and tweeting and letter-writing, can be recognised unmistakably in the minds of those who know and love you.' Stephen Fry.

From feral children to fairy-tale princesses, secrets codes, invented languages - even a language that was eaten - Planet Word uncovers everything you didn't know you needed to know about how language evolves. Learn the tricks to political propaganda, why we can talk but animals can't, discover 3,000-year-old clay tablets that discussed beer and impotence and test yourself at textese - do you know your RMEs from your LOLs? Meet the 105-year-old man who invented modern-day Chinese and all but eradicated illiteracy, and find out why language caused the go-light in Japan to be blue. From the dusty scrolls of the past to the unknown digital future, and with (heart) the first graphic to enter the OED, are we already well on our way to a language without words?

Reviews

'Arguably the greatest living Englishman' Independent on Sunday

Fry's linguistic facility remains one of the Wildean wonders of the new media age. The patron saint of British intelligence' Daily Telegraph

About the Author

Stephen Fry was born in London in 1957 and educated at Stout's Hill, Uppingham and Queens' College, Cambridge. At Cambridge he joined the Footlights where he first met Hugh Laurie. He has numerous television appearances to his credit, most notably 'A Bit Of Fry and Laurie', 'Jeeves And Wooster', 'Blackadder', 'QI' and 'Kingdom', and is a frequent contributor to radio shows including 'Just A Minute', 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' and 'The News Quiz'. Major film roles include Peter in 'Peter's Friends' (1990) and Oscar Wilde in 'Wilde' (1997); and in the realm of television, his critically acclaimed 'The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive' won an Emmy. He is the author of the best-selling novels The Liar, The Hippopotamus, Making History and The Stars' Tennis Balls, as well as the highly acclaimed autobiography Moab Is My Washpot, Rescuing the Spectacled Bear, and, in 2005, a well-received guide to writing poetry, The Ode Less Travelled. He is also the famous voice of the Harry Potter audio books. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation