Rating: 
Summary: A must-read, especially for any professional communicator.
Review: 20 years ago, I was toying with the idea of taking the linguistics option as part of my English degree at Oxford University. My course tutor recommended I read Fromkin & Rodman to "see if the subject suited me". F & R hooked me completely: All the major areas are covered, simply presented and introduced by a cleverly chosen cartoon which helps to breaks the ice. I must have recommended the book to more than 100 people since then and am ordering another copy now because a [former!] friend lost my (heavily thumbed and annotated) original. I now lecture on communications-related subjects and still find myself referring regularly to this seminal work. A must for any serious student of communications science; it draws you gently into a complicated subject and makes the process highly enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read, especially for any professional communicator.
Review: 20 years ago, I was toying with the idea of taking the linguistics option as part of my English degree at Oxford University. My course tutor recommended I read Fromkin & Rodman to "see if the subject suited me". F & R hooked me completely: All the major areas are covered, simply presented and introduced by a cleverly chosen cartoon which helps to breaks the ice. I must have recommended the book to more than 100 people since then and am ordering another copy now because a [former!] friend lost my (heavily thumbed and annotated) original. I now lecture on communications-related subjects and still find myself referring regularly to this seminal work. A must for any serious student of communications science; it draws you gently into a complicated subject and makes the process highly enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read, especially for any professional communicator.
Review: 20 years ago, I was toying with the idea of taking the linguistics option as part of my English degree at Oxford University. My course tutor recommended I read Fromkin & Rodman to "see if the subject suited me". F & R hooked me completely: All the major areas are covered, simply presented and introduced by a cleverly chosen cartoon which helps to breaks the ice. I must have recommended the book to more than 100 people since then and am ordering another copy now because a [former!] friend lost my (heavily thumbed and annotated) original. I now lecture on communications-related subjects and still find myself referring regularly to this seminal work. A must for any serious student of communications science; it draws you gently into a complicated subject and makes the process highly enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: One of Ten Books I'll Keep Forever
Review: A college professor first introduced AN INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE (3rd ed.) to me in 1984; I have been a fan ever since. Although the book probably is not for everyone, if you enjoyed diagramming sentences in school, and if you actually appreciate that your father insisted you take Latin, then the book is probably one you will enjoy. Carol Pettit
Rating:
Summary: One of ten books I'll keep forever
Review: A college professor first introduced me to AN INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE (3rd edition) in 1984, and I am still a fan. In fact, it is one of my ten favorite books. For a holiday gift this year, I will be receiving the 6th edition, and I am already looking forward to the updates from the previous editions. This text is a fascinating trip into the intricacies of language acquisition and use. Although probably not for everyone, if you loved diagramming sentences in school, and you actually appreciate that your father insisted you take Latin, then this book is probably for you.
Rating:
Summary: It's an Introduction book
Review: As an introduction book this book is perfect; it's written in short chapters(will not make you feel bored) and it has exercises(helps you with understanding) in it. To those who are interested in Linguistics and do not have any prior knowledge this book is The One.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for introductionary purposes
Review: At the university I attend we have uses this book in an introduction course for linguistics. It is rather good for in introductionary purposes but it does not go in great depth with the subjects. Use it to figure out whether linguistics is something for you, but if you already are interested in linguistics this book will be to shallow.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I was a little shocked to read some of the bad reviews other people gave this book. Although it's not my major, I took an introductory linguistics course using this book for a general education requirement. I have really enjoyed the book and the writing style, and find myself reading chapters for fun which weren't even assigned! Well done.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I was a little shocked to read some of the bad reviews other people gave this book. Although it's not my major, I took an introductory linguistics course using this book for a general education requirement. I have really enjoyed the book and the writing style, and find myself reading chapters for fun which weren't even assigned! Well done.
Rating:
Summary: Horses for courses
Review: If you're looking for a college-level textbook - look elsewhere! As the 1-star reviews make clear, this is not aimed at you, despite the upmarket cover...
On the other hand, if you're looking for a 'Linguistics for Dummies' book without the gaudy yellow-and-black cover to give you away, this book should do the trick nicely :) It's a pleasant stroll through the main areas of linguistics, livened up with cartoons - just enough to give you a taste of the subject without bogging you down in erudition. I don't know enough about linguistics to comment on the criticisms of some readers (though rejecting an entire field of study on the basis of one book seems a little...childish to me!), but any book that can turn a dry academic subject into an entertaining read gets my vote.
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