Rating: 
Summary: highly recommended for everyone
Review: "Language myths" is a book everyone should be required to read (or at least know the basic arguments of). The only complaint I have is that it would be nice to see (perhaps in the introduction) some discussion of why people hold onto these myths. It seems that many do so because it gives them a basis on which to categorize people socially, usually in such a way that they themselves end up at or near the top of their hierarchy. A more in-depth study of language myths in the USA is Rosina Lippi-Green's excellent book "English with an accent: Language, ideology, and discrimination in the United States".
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should read it
Review: A good collection of essays on language myths. Each essay is well written, informative a thorough. They destroy most of the fallacies about language that are so embedded in peoples minds, not just in the layman's mind but in the minds of some scholars, especially those with a philology background whose training consists mostly in the study of literature and poetry, for example; Spanish philologists. Taken collectively, however, some of the topics/ideas overlap in different essays making the reading somewhat repetitive at times (for this reason alone I haven't given the book full marks). Nevertheless I highly recommend it both to linguists and non-linguists with an interest in language.
Rating:
Summary: Demythologizing Language
Review: Ask any group of people about language and you will be sure to encounter a variety of unscientific notions. In this rather easy to read book 21 such notions are debunked by experts in linguistics. A few of my personal favorites are:"Some languages have no grammar" "Some languages are just not good enough" "Children can't speak or write properly any more" These same notions are found in languages around the world. I recommend this book for all those interested in a basic introduction to language. The book has enough details to be credible, but is also easy enough for non-linguists to understand.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the layman
Review: In my opinion, how much you like this book will depend on how much you know now. If you are a novice to linguistics or just curious, this book is excellent. It covers a broad range of subjects, avoids heavy use of technical jargon, and gives explanations that anyone can follow. The information is clear, well explained (not just "It's like this because it is because I said so."), and entertaining.
If you have already been doing some reading in linguistics, this book may be a bit simplistic. While I found parts interesting, much I already knew. In other cases, since similar arguments are in many works about linguistics (see "Teach Yourself Linguistics 5e" for much more detail than this book), as soon as the argument started, I could figure out the rest faster than it was explained. So, if you have some background in linguistics, this book is good for either (1) light reading, or (2) good explanations to use when people present the misconceptions described in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Ammunition against those self-avowed language purists
Review: Is it really wrong to end an English sentence with a preposition? Is it really an affront to the English language that the noun "party" has mutated into the verb "to party" or that business has introduced the verb "to finalize"? Is the British accent really superior to the American accent? Is Spanglish a real language or something to be resisted? What is the proper past tense of "to dive": "dove" or "dived"? The authors and editors of "Language Myths" have presented a cogent set of essays which set the record straight on a variety of language topics. They illustrate how social biases shape our perceptions of language use. They discuss the mechanisms that drive the change and evolution of language, how subtle distinctions are refined, and how the language is normalized and simplified through the introduction of new words. A fascinating read. A wonderful source of "trivia" for conversation. A set of thought provoking arguments that may help reshape your world view. A great defense for the next time some grammarian corrects your speech or writing -- it may just be that their prescribed usage is the deviant form, not yours.
Rating: 
Summary: Not much different from the pieces written by non-linguists
Review: The introduction states that this book is written by linguists as opposed to journalists, psychologists, or members of other fields. For that reason, I expected to somehow get more out of this book than I had out of The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker or any other book written by a non-linguist. I must say that I was disappointed. This book is an easily understood introduction to language, but to this layman, the information was no different than that provided by Pinker, etc. If you are looking for a thought provoking introduction to linguists, this is a very good book to read. On the otherhand, if you have read other books on the subject, it is not worthwhile to also read this one.
Rating:
Summary: Most Essential
Review: This book is a wonderful read for anyone interested in language. It contains short essays on twenty-one common misconceptions about language by established (socio-) linguists.
Ranging from the entertaining: women talk too much, in the Appalachians they speak like Shakespeare, everyone has an accent except me, to the important: double negatives are illogical, you shouldn't say `it's me' because `me' is accusative, English spelling is katastroffik and the fundamental: the media are ruining the language, aborigines speak a primitive language, black children are verbally deprived, they speak really bad English down south and in New York.
These - and other - common and more exotic language myths are sliced into bits and analysed and the invariable effect it will have on you is always: `damn... how could I be so gullible/prejudiced/shallow-minded about it?'
I know I will no longer correct anyone who says `heh, it's me!' (instead of `heh, it is I!' or `who do you write for?' (instead of `whom do you write for?') - least of all will I correct myself.
Educative, entertaining and enlightening.
This one gets five stars.
Bram Janssen,
The Netherlands
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introduction to the issues
Review: This collection of essays addresses several longstanding myths and misconceptions about how language works. The contributors are all linguists, yet all write in an accessible manner, which makes this ideal reading for the layperson. Among the issues addressed are whether "bad grammar" is a sign of laziness, whether "kids can't talk or write properly these days," and whether black children are "verbally deprived". These issues are important because the widespread views are founded on very little evidence, and run contrary to everything linguists know about language. The tone of the essays is remarkably gracious, given that most of the language myths are based on pseudo-linguistic arguments that actually boil down to simple ignorance and prejudice. Readers who will most benefit are those who have swallowed the insistence of the "language mavens" (to use Steven Pinker's phrase) that we ought all to speak "proper English". Books such as this handy volume will go a long way to correcting such misconceived and potentially damaging polemics. Bravo to Trudgehill et al.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This is a collection of essays by today's leading linguists. Their mission is to debunk some of the most popular myths about languages. For example, some of the topics coverd are "Double Negatives Are Illogical," "TV Makes People Sound the Same," and "Some Languages Are Harder Than Others." My favorite essay had to do with the topic of the perception of American dialects. I think this book is very easy to read and it's not necessary to have a background in linguistics to enjoy it. Also, some of the things you learn by reading this book will give you a chance to get revenge on your high school English teacher. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: This is a collection of essays by today's leading linguists. Their mission is to debunk some of the most popular myths about languages. For example, some of the topics coverd are "Double Negatives Are Illogical," "TV Makes People Sound the Same," and "Some Languages Are Harder Than Others." My favorite essay had to do with the topic of the perception of American dialects. I think this book is very easy to read and it's not necessary to have a background in linguistics to enjoy it. Also, some of the things you learn by reading this book will give you a chance to get revenge on your high school English teacher. Check it out.
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