books on ling for non-specialists?

[Alice Faber]

Mark A. Mandel wrote:
>My college alumni magazine has asked me for some book titles on
>linguistics suitable for a non-specialist but intelligent audience. What
>would y'all recommend?
>

Pinker's The Language Instinct was the first general market book on
language I was able to give to my parents so that they'd get an idea
of why I do what I do. Before that, when I tried to explain why
language is the most fascinating thing imaginable and why I think
it's important to study it, I'd barely get two sentences out before
they'd change the subject. When my mother was halfway through Pinker,
she called me to argue with something he said about innateness.

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Alice Faber                                             faber at haskins.yale.edu
Haskins Laboratories                                  tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
New Haven, CT 06511 USA                                     fax (203) 865-8963