Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary

Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners

A â€œfascinatingâ€ (The Economist) dive into the world of linguistics that is â€œpart travelogue, part science lesson, part intellectual investigationâ€¦an entertaining, informative survey of some of the most fascinating polyglots of our timeâ€ (The New York Times Book Review).

In Babel No More, Michael Erard, â€œa monolingual with benefits,â€ sets out on a quest to meet language superlearners and make sense of their mental powers. On the way he uncovers the secrets of historical figures like the nineteenth-century Italian cardinal Joseph Mezzofanti, who was said to speak seventy-two languages, as well as those of living language-superlearners such as Alexander Arguelles, a modern-day polyglot who knows dozens of languages and shows Erard the tricks of the trade to give him a dark glimpse into the life of obsessive language acquisition.

With his ambitious examination of what language is, where it lives in the brain, and the cultural implications of polyglotsâ€™ pursuits, Erard explores the upper limits of our ability to learn and use languages and illuminates the intellectual potential in everyone. How do some people escape the curse of Babelâ€”and what might the gods have demanded of them in return?
Country USA
Manufacturer Free Press
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2012-01-10
Format Kindle eBook

Babel No More: The Search for the World's Most Extraordinary Language Learners