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A World Without "Whom"
by Emmy J. Favilla • 2017
The internet changed English. Here is the style guide that keeps up.
3.72
491
A World Without "Whom" Summary
A World Without "Whom" 87%
The internet changed English. Here is the style guide that keeps up.
by Emmy J. Favilla 2017
3.72
491 ratings
Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language
by Robin I.M. Dunbar • 1996
Gossip isn't petty. It's the reason language exists: a louder, faster replacement for grooming.
4.17
684
Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language Summary
Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language 87%
Gossip isn't petty. It's the reason language exists: a louder, faster replacement for grooming.
by Robin I.M. Dunbar 1996
4.17
684 ratings
Words on the Move
by John McWhorter • 2016
Writing froze the language in your head; speech has been moving the whole time.
4.14
2k+
Words on the Move Summary
Words on the Move 87%
Writing froze the language in your head; speech has been moving the whole time.
by John McWhorter 2016
4.14
2k+ ratings
Like, Literally, Dude
by Valerie Fridland • 2023
Vocal fry, um, and literally: the science that turns every grammar pet peeve into a feature.
3.85
925
Like, Literally, Dude Summary
Like, Literally, Dude 87%
Vocal fry, um, and literally: the science that turns every grammar pet peeve into a feature.
by Valerie Fridland 2023
3.85
925 ratings
The Myth of Mars and Venus
by Deborah Cameron • 2007
Verbal ability overlaps 99.75% between sexes. The gender-communication industry is built on noise.
4.03
482
The Myth of Mars and Venus Summary
The Myth of Mars and Venus 87%
Verbal ability overlaps 99.75% between sexes. The gender-communication industry is built on noise.
by Deborah Cameron 2007
4.03
482 ratings
You Are What You Speak
by Robert Lane Greene • 2011
Grammar rules are recent inventions, language decline is a myth, and purism is identity politics.
3.86
682
You Are What You Speak Summary
You Are What You Speak 87%
Grammar rules are recent inventions, language decline is a myth, and purism is identity politics.
by Robert Lane Greene 2011
3.86
682 ratings
Because Internet
by Gretchen McCulloch • 2019
Why a period feels angry and emoji work like gestures: the hidden grammar of internet English.
4.04
13k+
Because Internet Summary
Because Internet 87%
Why a period feels angry and emoji work like gestures: the hidden grammar of internet English.
by Gretchen McCulloch 2019
4.04
13k+ ratings
Semicolon
by Cecelia Watson • 2019
How a semicolon started a grammar war: the rules we invented, the people they hurt.
3.68
2k+
Semicolon Summary
Semicolon 87%
How a semicolon started a grammar war: the rules we invented, the people they hurt.
by Cecelia Watson 2019
3.68
2k+ ratings
Dictionary of American Slang
by Robert L. Chapman • 1998
Slang is a psychological shield, a substitute for the fist, and language at its most honest.
3.91
43
Dictionary of American Slang Summary
Dictionary of American Slang 87%
Slang is a psychological shield, a substitute for the fist, and language at its most honest.
by Robert L. Chapman 1998
3.91
43 ratings
That's Not English
by Erin Moore • 2015
British reserve and American enthusiasm hide in words that both countries assume they share.
3.67
858
That's Not English Summary
That's Not English 87%
British reserve and American enthusiasm hide in words that both countries assume they share.
by Erin Moore 2015
3.67
858 ratings
You Just Don't Understand
by Deborah Tannen • 1990
Men talk to rank; women talk to bond. A collision course learned on the playground.
3.88
7k+
You Just Don't Understand Summary
You Just Don't Understand 86%
Men talk to rank; women talk to bond. A collision course learned on the playground.
by Deborah Tannen 1990
3.88
7k+ ratings
Rebel with a Clause
by Ellen Jovin • 2022
She toured fifty states with a grammar table. The confessions were stranger than the questions.
4.00
1k+
Rebel with a Clause Summary
Rebel with a Clause 86%
She toured fifty states with a grammar table. The confessions were stranger than the questions.
by Ellen Jovin 2022
4.00
1k+ ratings
Algospeak
by Adam Aleksic • 2025
Censorship algorithms didn't kill language online. They made it weirder, faster, more creative.
3.70
5k+
Algospeak Summary
Algospeak 86%
Censorship algorithms didn't kill language online. They made it weirder, faster, more creative.
by Adam Aleksic 2025
3.70
5k+ ratings
The Secret Life of Pronouns
by James W. Pennebaker • 2011
Your pronouns betray who you are: your status, your emotions, even whether you're lying.
3.67
3k+
The Secret Life of Pronouns Summary
The Secret Life of Pronouns 86%
Your pronouns betray who you are: your status, your emotions, even whether you're lying.
by James W. Pennebaker 2011
3.67
3k+ ratings
On Rumors
by Cass R. Sunstein • 2009
Debunking a rumor often makes more people believe it. The cognitive traps that cause this.
3.28
299
On Rumors Summary
On Rumors 86%
Debunking a rumor often makes more people believe it. The cognitive traps that cause this.
by Cass R. Sunstein 2009
3.28
299 ratings
The Intelligent Conversationalist
by Imogen Lloyd Webber • 2016
Opinions matter more than expertise. A crash course on having something to say about everything.
3.05
451
The Intelligent Conversationalist Summary
The Intelligent Conversationalist 86%
Opinions matter more than expertise. A crash course on having something to say about everything.
by Imogen Lloyd Webber 2016
3.05
451 ratings
The Loom of Language
by Frederick Bodmer • 1943
Languages are not taught. They are inherited. The family tree unlocks what phrasebooks never will.
4.16
398
The Loom of Language Summary
The Loom of Language 86%
Languages are not taught. They are inherited. The family tree unlocks what phrasebooks never will.
by Frederick Bodmer 1943
4.16
398 ratings
Swearing Is Good for You
by Emma Byrne • 2017
Swearing isn't a character flaw. It is a biological tool that dulls pain and forges trust.
3.48
2k+
Swearing Is Good for You Summary
Swearing Is Good for You 86%
Swearing isn't a character flaw. It is a biological tool that dulls pain and forges trust.
by Emma Byrne 2017
3.48
2k+ ratings
La sociolinguistique
by Louis-Jean Calvet • 1993
Language stripped of society is a fiction. Every accent, loanword, and policy proves it.
3.94
66
La sociolinguistique Summary
La sociolinguistique 86%
Language stripped of society is a fiction. Every accent, loanword, and policy proves it.
by Louis-Jean Calvet 1993
3.94
66 ratings
How Propaganda Works
by Jason F. Stanley • 2015
How coded language and elite myths rig democratic debate, and why the educated fall hardest.
3.59
859
How Propaganda Works Summary
How Propaganda Works 86%
How coded language and elite myths rig democratic debate, and why the educated fall hardest.
by Jason F. Stanley 2015
3.59
859 ratings
The Mother Tongue
by Bill Bryson • 1990
Why English spelling is a mess, dialects baffle, and a Germanic tongue now rules the world.
3.91
44k+
The Mother Tongue Summary
The Mother Tongue 86%
Why English spelling is a mess, dialects baffle, and a Germanic tongue now rules the world.
by Bill Bryson 1990
3.91
44k+ ratings
How to do Discourse Analysis
by James Paul Gee • 2010
How language builds identities, relationships, and social worlds: a practical toolkit for analysis.
3.96
107
How to do Discourse Analysis Summary
How to do Discourse Analysis 86%
How language builds identities, relationships, and social worlds: a practical toolkit for analysis.
by James Paul Gee 2010
3.96
107 ratings
The Sense of Style
by Steven Pinker • 2014
Why can't smart people write clearly? A cognitive scientist blames one mental blind spot.
4.04
9k+
The Sense of Style Summary
The Sense of Style 86%
Why can't smart people write clearly? A cognitive scientist blames one mental blind spot.
by Steven Pinker 2014
4.04
9k+ ratings
I Only Say This Because I Love You
by Deborah Tannen • 2001
The real argument was never spoken. What linguistics reveals about family conflict's hidden logic.
3.80
497
I Only Say This Because I Love You Summary
I Only Say This Because I Love You 86%
The real argument was never spoken. What linguistics reveals about family conflict's hidden logic.
by Deborah Tannen 2001
3.80
497 ratings
Studies in Words (Canto)
by C.S. Lewis • 1939
Why you misread old books: words like 'nature' and 'conscience' once meant something else entirely.
4.19
516
Studies in Words (Canto) Summary
Studies in Words (Canto) 86%
Why you misread old books: words like 'nature' and 'conscience' once meant something else entirely.
by C.S. Lewis 1939
4.19
516 ratings
Origins of Human Communication
by Michael Tomasello • 1999
Language didn't start with a code. It started with pointing, pantomime, and the urge to help.
4.14
299
Origins of Human Communication Summary
Origins of Human Communication 86%
Language didn't start with a code. It started with pointing, pantomime, and the urge to help.
by Michael Tomasello 1999
4.14
299 ratings
The Language Game
by Morten H. Christiansen • 2022
Language isn't a fixed code; it's a second-by-second improvisation that built human culture.
4.02
462
The Language Game Summary
The Language Game 86%
Language isn't a fixed code; it's a second-by-second improvisation that built human culture.
by Morten H. Christiansen 2022
4.02
462 ratings
El pequeño libro del lenguaje
by David Crystal • 2012
Grammar runs without a rulebook. Your accent is your signature. And every language remakes itself.
3.75
2k+
El pequeño libro del lenguaje Summary
El pequeño libro del lenguaje 86%
Grammar runs without a rulebook. Your accent is your signature. And every language remakes itself.
by David Crystal 2012
3.75
2k+ ratings
The Language Instinct
by Steven Pinker • 1994
Children don't learn language; they reinvent it, driven by grammar etched into the brain.
4.01
23k+
The Language Instinct Summary
The Language Instinct 86%
Children don't learn language; they reinvent it, driven by grammar etched into the brain.
by Steven Pinker 1994
4.01
23k+ ratings
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 86%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
Linguistic Fingerprints
by Roger J. Kreuz • 2023
The hidden patterns in your words identify you better than fingerprints: stylometry reads them.
3.50
20
Linguistic Fingerprints Summary
Linguistic Fingerprints 86%
The hidden patterns in your words identify you better than fingerprints: stylometry reads them.
by Roger J. Kreuz 2023
3.50
20 ratings
Dreaming in Chinese
by Deborah Fallows • 2010
Tones, compounds, missing pronouns: how Mandarin encodes a worldview no guidebook can offer.
3.63
2k+
Dreaming in Chinese Summary
Dreaming in Chinese 86%
Tones, compounds, missing pronouns: how Mandarin encodes a worldview no guidebook can offer.
by Deborah Fallows 2010
3.63
2k+ ratings
Language in Thought and Action
by S.I. Hayakawa • 1991
Most arguments and prejudices come from one error: treating words as if they were facts.
4.22
1k+
Language in Thought and Action Summary
Language in Thought and Action 85%
Most arguments and prejudices come from one error: treating words as if they were facts.
by S.I. Hayakawa 1991
4.22
1k+ ratings
The Translator's Invisibility
by Lawrence Venuti • 1994
The smoother a translation reads, the more it erases the foreign culture and the translator's labor.
3.79
272
The Translator's Invisibility Summary
The Translator's Invisibility 85%
The smoother a translation reads, the more it erases the foreign culture and the translator's labor.
by Lawrence Venuti 1994
3.79
272 ratings
Woe Is I
by Patricia T. O'Conner • 1996
Most grammar rules aren't rules at all. Here are the few that actually clarify your writing.
3.94
4k+
Woe Is I Summary
Woe Is I 85%
Most grammar rules aren't rules at all. Here are the few that actually clarify your writing.
by Patricia T. O'Conner 1996
3.94
4k+ ratings
How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends
by Don Gabor • 1983
Six body signals, three opening lines and a listening method that turns small talk into connection.
3.60
1k+
How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends Summary
How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends 85%
Six body signals, three opening lines and a listening method that turns small talk into connection.
by Don Gabor 1983
3.60
1k+ ratings
The Secret Life of Words
by Anne Curzan • 2012
English stole a million words, hid their origins, and keeps changing the rules.
4.37
505
The Secret Life of Words Summary
The Secret Life of Words 85%
English stole a million words, hid their origins, and keeps changing the rules.
by Anne Curzan 2012
4.37
505 ratings
Word Hero
by Jay Heinrichs • 2011
How to write lines that people repeat, share, and remember: the forgotten art of rhetorical figures.
3.73
280
Word Hero Summary
Word Hero 85%
How to write lines that people repeat, share, and remember: the forgotten art of rhetorical figures.
by Jay Heinrichs 2011
3.73
280 ratings
Dreyer's English
by Benjamin Dreyer • 2019
A copy chief teaches the cuts, the commas, and the confidence to write clear, unstoppable prose.
4.34
9k+
Dreyer's English Summary
Dreyer's English 85%
A copy chief teaches the cuts, the commas, and the confidence to write clear, unstoppable prose.
by Benjamin Dreyer 2019
4.34
9k+ ratings
Neverisms
by Mardy Grothe • 2011
The collected wisdom of a single word: what 'never' taught politics, business, love, and sports.
3.83
102
Neverisms Summary
Neverisms 85%
The collected wisdom of a single word: what 'never' taught politics, business, love, and sports.
by Mardy Grothe 2011
3.83
102 ratings
Speech Acts
by John Rogers Searle • 1969
Language doesn't just describe actions. It IS action, governed by rules that create the game.
3.89
509
Speech Acts Summary
Speech Acts 85%
Language doesn't just describe actions. It IS action, governed by rules that create the game.
by John Rogers Searle 1969
3.89
509 ratings
Dishonesty Is the Second-Best Policy
by David Mitchell • 2019
The internet, Brexit, and everything else a British comedian finds disastrous and hilarious.
3.67
5k+
Dishonesty Is the Second-Best Policy Summary
Dishonesty Is the Second-Best Policy 85%
The internet, Brexit, and everything else a British comedian finds disastrous and hilarious.
by David Mitchell 2019
3.67
5k+ ratings
Friends
by Robin I.M. Dunbar • 2021
Your brain caps your real friends at about 150. The rest is gossip.
3.63
562
Friends Summary
Friends 85%
Your brain caps your real friends at about 150. The rest is gossip.
by Robin I.M. Dunbar 2021
3.63
562 ratings
A Brief History of the Spanish Language
by David A. Pharies • 2007
Why you say 'puerta' not 'porta': the hidden rules that shaped Spanish over two millennia.
3.87
156
A Brief History of the Spanish Language Summary
A Brief History of the Spanish Language 85%
Why you say 'puerta' not 'porta': the hidden rules that shaped Spanish over two millennia.
by David A. Pharies 2007
3.87
156 ratings
The Language Puzzle
by Steven Mithen • 2024
Language's origin: a six-million-year puzzle pieced from genes, tools, and ape gestures.
3.89
487
The Language Puzzle Summary
The Language Puzzle 85%
Language's origin: a six-million-year puzzle pieced from genes, tools, and ape gestures.
by Steven Mithen 2024
3.89
487 ratings
Big Talk, Small Talk (and Everything in Between)
by Shola Kaye • 2020
The small talk you dread, the tough conversations you avoid, and a playbook for both.
3.64
14
Big Talk, Small Talk (and Everything in Between) Summary
Big Talk, Small Talk (and Everything in Between) 85%
The small talk you dread, the tough conversations you avoid, and a playbook for both.
by Shola Kaye 2020
3.64
14 ratings
The Ancient Art of Thinking For Yourself
by Robin Reames • 2024
Facts crumble when denied. Metaphors run our politics. Ancient rhetoric knew both, and we forgot.
3.93
244
The Ancient Art of Thinking For Yourself Summary
The Ancient Art of Thinking For Yourself 85%
Facts crumble when denied. Metaphors run our politics. Ancient rhetoric knew both, and we forgot.
by Robin Reames 2024
3.93
244 ratings
Last Words
by George Carlin • 2009
Seven words got him arrested, fired, and all the way to the Supreme Court.
3.97
15k+
Last Words Summary
Last Words 85%
Seven words got him arrested, fired, and all the way to the Supreme Court.
by George Carlin 2009
3.97
15k+ ratings
On Bullshit
by Harry G. Frankfurt • 2005
The liar hides the truth. The bullshitter doesn't care what it is. A 67-page philosophical grenade.
3.58
16k+
On Bullshit Summary
On Bullshit 85%
The liar hides the truth. The bullshitter doesn't care what it is. A 67-page philosophical grenade.
by Harry G. Frankfurt 2005
3.58
16k+ ratings
Of Grammatology
by Jacques Derrida • 1967
Philosophy treats speech as pure thought and writing as its corrupt double. It has it backward.
3.97
5k+
Of Grammatology Summary
Of Grammatology 85%
Philosophy treats speech as pure thought and writing as its corrupt double. It has it backward.
by Jacques Derrida 1967
3.97
5k+ ratings
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