Overview

Steven Roger Fischer's fascinating book charts the history of communication from the time before human language was conceived through to the media explosion of the present day. Describing modes of communication between whales, birds, insects and primates and suggesting the first contexts in which the concept of 'language' might be applied, Fischer moves from the early abilities of Homo erectus to the spread of languages worldwide, analyzing the effect of the development of writing along the way. With the founding of the science of linguistics in the nineteenth century, the nature of language first came to be understood; Fischer charts the evolution of linguists' insights and the relationship of language to social change into mid-1900s. Taking into account the rise of pidgin, Creole, jargon and slang, he raises provocative questions about literature's - and literacy's - relationship to language. Finally, touching on the effects of radio, television, propaganda and advertising, Fischer looks to the future, asking how electronic media are daily reshaping the world's languages and suggesting a radical reinterpretation of what language really is.

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9781861890511

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Reviews

This remarkable study will have an instant fascination for anyone intrigued by the possibilities, potentialities and significance of words. The Globalities series (which reinterprets world history in a concise yet thoughtful and accessible way) has produced some remarkable books, but this is their most accomplished yet: Fischer takes on the imposing territory of language, tackling areas which have rarely been explored, and throwing a fresh light on many aspects of verbal and written communication which the reader may (perhaps erroneously) feel he is familiar with. As a study of language, Fischer's book is utterly fascinating - but it is much more than that. Throughout this lucid and carefully reasoned study, the author addresses difficult questions about human nature and society, as reflected in language. Starting before the birth of human language and moving through the founding of the science of linguistics in the 19th century to modern areas of jargon, slang and other mutations, Fischer touches on the influence of radio, television, propaganda and advertising. The final effect of the book (apart from the intense mental stimulation it affords) is to send the reader into new areas of expression and understanding: few who read this fascinating study will regard language in quite the same way again. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Steven Roger Fischer is Director of the Institute of Polynesian Languages and Literatures in Auckland, New Zealand. He is the author of A History of Writing, A History of Reading and Island at the End of the World: The Turbulent History of Easter Island, all available from Reaktion Books.

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