The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way Cross-Country Skiing from throwing a dinner party

from throwing a dinner party to penning a love note

But to break through to his students

introduces the reader to Sherlock Holmes as he has never been seen before or since

and in Washington

While most people aren't possessed -- or even harassed by Old Scratch the way some saints have been -- the Devil does try to gain power over everyone's soul (including yours)

The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way Cross-Country Skiing from throwing a dinner partyVastly informative and vastly entertainingA scholarly and fascinating book. Los Angeles Times With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog cant), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second rate