For the nerds: does such a linguistics book exist?

[whatausername]

I'd like something that is interesting and accessible to beginners. Quite general, not on a specific area of linguistics. Does such a book exist?

I'll be very impressed by the hive mind if MNers can provide an answer!

David Crystal
Encyclopedia of Language

Hello! I am the same kind of nerd!

I can recommend Linguistics: A Complete Introduction by David Hornsby

Not sure if it is quite what you are after but “through the language glass - why the world looks different in other languages” is brilliant.

David Crystal encyclopaedia. Definitely. I may actually love him a little bit.

Oh hello! I wasn't anticipating so many replies so quickly. I'm on a break (assignment due soon) so will look at all these tomorrow. If I start now I'll get too distracted tonight. Keep the ideas coming though! Good old Mumsnet :)

I second David Crystal; the guy’s a legend!😀👍🏻

Absolutely David Crystal!

Daniel Everett

Very interesting books

Written in Stone: A Journey Through the Stone Age and the Origins of Modern Language - Christopher Stevens

I got this from the library, and have only made the briefest of starts with it, but it seems good.

The Power of Babel, a natural history of language by John McWorter. It's great, very accessible

https://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/10-inspiring-books-about-language-and-ling【uistics/

Some on linguistics, some on languages!

I know you said nothing too specialist, but Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch is a great book and very accessible. It's all about how language evolves online. Maybe something to consider for future reading! Otherwise, yes, David Crystal is your man.

I don't know if it classified as Linguistics, but I love Robert Claiborn's Life and Times of the English Language. It is very accessible and interesting.

Steven Pinker - The Language Instinct. Absolutely fascinating.

David Crystal stories of English

Bill Bryson also did an interesting book about English called Mother Tongue

He's wonderful. Have been to a few events and lectures when he has been presenting. He certainly has something about him ...

Yes to all these already mentioned! I'd also add 'Language: the Basics' , by R. L. Trask.

Bill Bryspn, The Mother Tongue (inspired me to study linguistics, now have a PhD in it!).
Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct
David Crystal, anything by him! The Engish Language is a good one!

Rob Drummond it's all talk to me. About accents and code switching. He is ace

He was my hero, then I met him and we had a little argument about Shakespeare 😳

Thanks so much OP for asking this question which I absolutely had but hadn't properly formed in my head yet. I'm so excited. (Also wondering whether anyone here had a phonetics lecturer at Newcastle who was Irish and a bit lovely... or encountered Noel Burton-Roberts there, who took the piss out of me gently for falling asleep in his lecture.)

Oh no @LunaNorth don’t burst my bubble!! 😬

I knew David Crystal’s son when I was a kid!

I’d agree with any of his books, also Through the Language Glass. Guy Deutscher is the father of Alma Deutscher.

Sorry, but he was a bit of a dick 😞