Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries & Meanings of Language

Description

Is vocabulary destiny? Why do clocks 'talk' to the Nahua people of Mexico? Will A.I. researchers ever produce true human-machine dialogue? In this mesmerizing collection of essays, Daniel Tammet answers these and many other questions about the intricacy and profound power of language. In EVERY WORD IS A BIRD WE TEACH TO SING, Tammet goes back in time to explore the numeric language of his autistic childhood; in Iceland, he learns why the name Bl r became a court case; in Canada, he meets one of the world's most accomplished lip readers. He chats with chatbots; contrives an 'e'-less essay on lipograms; studies the grammar of the telephone; contemplates the significance of disappearing dialects; and corresponds with native Esperanto speakers - in their mother tongue. A joyous romp through the world of words, letters, stories, and meanings, EVERY WORD IS A BIRD WE TEACH TO SING explores the way communication shapes reality. From the art of translation to the lyricism of sign language, these essays display the stunning range of Tammet's literary and polyglot talents.

Daniel Tammet is an essayist, novelist and translator. He is the author of Thinking in Numbers, Embracing the Wide Sky, and the Sunday Times bestseller Born On A Blue Day. Tammet is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). He lives in Paris.

A memoir of outstanding lucidity and charm - The Sunday Times on BORN ON A BLUE DAY Admirably modest but affecting autobiography by a man blessed with incredible mental gifts but struggling with Asperger's - The Sunday Times Praise for EMBRACING THE WIDE SKY: 'Entertaining and informative about an impressive range of subjects . . . EMBRACING THE WIDE SKY is fun and inspirational' - FT Weekend Packed with his clear summaries of fascinating experiments . . . Recent debate has bumped up this book from delightful to vital - Daily Telegraph A joyous romp through the world of words, letters, stories, and meanings - Queensland Times