Helping me to round out my summer vacation were the following books:
The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language (John McWhorter, 2003)
This is similar to Deutscher’s The Unfolding of Language, but focuses less on the mechanics of language change and more on the sociolinguistic factors which influence the evolution of languages. McWhorter spends less time than Deutscher discussing ancient languages, but has more pop culture references (apparently he’s a big fan of television). It’s an informative read, and I think a good prelude to my upcoming class on language contact between the Native Americans and Europeans. Unfortunately, McWhorter is no longer a professor at Berkeley, having given up tenure in favor of working at a conservative think tank.
)The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (Steven Pinker, 1994)
TLI is a classic—perhaps the classic linguistics book written for a popular audience. Though much of the book is a survey of the Chomskyan approach to linguistics, its purpose is to reconcile what we know about language, the mind, and human behavior—that is, to explore why is language is natural for human beings. For anyone interested in language with or without a linguistics background, this is a worthwhile read. (I’m not so sure I agree with all of Pinker’s/Chomsky’s arguments, but the discussion is superb.)
What surprised me most about this book was what was not included: there was only a passing mention of metaphor, and no discussion of categories/frames—two concepts that are central, at least in the Lakoffian approach, to understanding how the mind and language work. I find it strange that these areas of research are barely acknowledged by a cognitive linguist discussing language and the mind.
Whose Freedom?: The Battle Over America’s Most Important Idea (George Lakoff, 2006)
Though I’ve become something of a Lakoff nut, I realize that his linguopoliticocognitive theory on American moral systems can be a bit difficult to grasp at first. Of his previous books on the subject, Don’t Think of an Elephant! is, I think, inadequate in explaining the some of the key details of the theory, and Moral Politics is too thorough and academic to appeal to a general audience. This new book, I feel, is the best starting point for those who want to learn more about the Strict Father/Nurturant Parent dichotomy and how it plays out in the American values debate. Focusing on the idea of freedom allows Lakoff to hit on a lot of issues (freedom involves not just civil liberties and foreign policy but also things like environmental protection and economics) within a unified discussion (what freedom means to progressives vs. conservatives). Plus, it’s short and easy to read—200 pages shorter than Moral Politics. Keep in mind that this book is primarily about an idea, not a tactic, so the practice of framing takes a backseat—though an understanding of core concepts like ‘freedom’ is the critical for framing.
The story has its ups and downs. Definite highlights include: a creative writing lesson in which he asks students to write their own excuse notes; character sketches of individuals he encounters in parent-teacher conferences; and a class spent singing recipes out of cookbooks (with musical accompaniment!). One major theme throughout is McCourt’s inner conflict owing largely to his lack of self-confidence. Another is the idiosyncrasies of the American educational system, in which a teacher’s education (consisting of pedagogical theory from college professors who can’t teach) leaves him ill-prepared to deal with a raucus bunch of working-class teenagers day in and day out; a system in which “[t]he farther you travel from the classroom the greater your financial and professional rewards.” An excerpt from a lesson on war poems he is required to conduct as part of his teaching exam:
It makes the case for a democratically-organized Democratic Party, and it does so passionately, persuasively, and concisely. They attack what they characterize as a clumsy and antiquated (1970s-era) party apparatus on the Democratic side, contrasting this woeful state of affairs for progressives with the nimble, 21st-century conservative machine which has been frighteningly effective in turning out Republican dollars and votes. Some of the biggest shortcomings of the Democrats, according to Markos and Jerome, include: a historical reliance on a few wealthy donors to the alienation of grassroots activists; the fragmentation and short-sightedness of single-issue groups; the increasing focus on a few races and swing states to the detriment of the Democratic image elsewhere; a reliance on Washington consultants who profit from connections rather than performance; the lack of investment in progressive infrasture (media, think tanks, and young activists); and the disjointed laundry list of policy stances that is our message. This tough and honest assessment of our current weaknesses comes with suggestions on how they can be overcome, with netroots-style populism obviously playing an important role.
While browsing the New Books section of the library, I stumbled upon—what else?—a linguistics book. Guy Deutscher’s 
Christopher likes:
This is not just another Holocaust novel—believe me, I’ve read plenty of them. Or believe USA Today: “The Book Thief deserves a place on the same shelf with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel’s Night.” Or 
