AUDIO

Written in Stone: A Journey Through the Stone Age and the Origins of Modern Language

by Christopher Stevens
8 CDs. 8:30 hrs. Tantor. Nov. 2015. ISBN 9781494515584. $37.99. digital download. LINGUISTICS
COPY ISBN
Stevens (Thirty Days Has September) examines the evolution of prehistoric Indo-European into the languages now used by "half the world's population." Spoken, not written, the Stone Age Indo-European tongue proved to be "the DNA of English," and here Stevens traces many of the Neolithic roots of English words we use today. Narrator Michael Healy is a fine match for Stevens's witty, engaging style. The short chapters focus on one main idea at a time, a structure that helps prevent the comprehensive nature of this work from becoming overwhelming.
VERDICT While this enjoyable work is highly recommended overall, the audio production will be less satisfying than reading the print version for some; without being able to see a word and its root on the page, it could be difficult to make the connections easily between the two. ["The history of English is fascinating and this is a delightful distraction from a more serious linguistic approach to the topic": LJ 10/1/15 review of the Pegasus hc.]
Reviewed by Wendy Galgan, St. Francis Coll., Brooklyn , Jun 01, 2016
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