McWhorter, John H

"In his first book devoted solely to the form, structure, and development of Black English, John McWhorter clearly explains its fundamentals and rich history, while carefully examining the cultural, educational, and political issues that have undermined recognition of this transformative, empowering dialect."--Back cover.

Exposes the true roots of the crisis facing today's African-Americans, revealing that black America's current problems are a result of an unintended by-product of the civil rights movement, and offering a practical method for solving the current crisis and moving forward.

A natural history of language written especially for the lay person, looking at how the nearly six thousand languages on Earth as of 2001 evolved from a single, original source some 150,000 years earlier, and discussing dialects, language extinction, and other topics.

A collection of essays in which the author shares his thoughts on race, arguing that many of the problems often seen as unique to African-Americans are actually just human, and discussing the need for African-Americans to quit presenting themselves as victims.

Traces the decline of language in contemporary America, arguing that everday speech has taken over formal speech in all arenas, from oratory to poetry to everyday journalism.