Table of Contents

Part I Magic
1. The Spell
2. Linguistics
Part II Words 
3. Names, Words and Things
4. Where Words Come From
5. Forming Words
Part III Grammar
6. Morphology
7. Syntax
8. From DNA to Discourse Acquisition
Part IV Babel
9. Interlinguistic Diversity
10. Diversity Within
 11. The Spell Unbroken
Sources
Bibliography
Glossary

About the Author

Christopher J. Hall is at York St John University College, York, UK. He has taught widely in linguistics and English language, and is the author of Morphology and Mind(Routledge, 1992).

Reviews

'Hall's book uses an informal readable style, almost chatty in places...but it hides some serious points about the significance of language and the way it is used.' ~ Tim Connell, The Times Higher, November 2006
*Tim Connell*

'With apt examples from novels and newspapers, courtroom trials and telephone conversations, the lowly and the mighty, his book repeatedly startles as it casts light on language. This is a bright, humorous, and completely accessible tour of 21st-century linguistics.' Professor Edward Finegan, University of Southern California

Reference & Research Book News, August 2006
*mention*

'Christopher Hall's book is the best new introduction to linguistics that I have seen in decades. It is engagingly written without talking down to the reader and it covers all the subparts of the field in a comprehensive and evenhanded manner. I plan to use it the next time that I teach an introductory course at Washington.' Professor Frederick J. Newmeyer, University of Washington
*Blurb from reviewer*

'There are already dozens of introductory texts on language and linguistics. Do we really need another one? In this case, the answer is ''yes''.  Hall's book is highly original, thanks mainly to the ''breaking the spell'' trope that underlies and motivates it.' John Fry, Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics at San Jose State University, California.
*Linguist List*

'a useful addition to a growing range of publications, reflecting the sheer diversity of linguistics as a subject. It is to be hoped that they will have a positive effect on students. [It] will certainly go a long way in persuading them that this is a fascinating subject with boundless possibilities.' ~ Tim Connell, Times Higher Education Supplement, November 2006
*Times Educational Supplement*