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The Story of Human Language
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
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The Story of Human Language
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Publisher's summary
Language defines us as a species, placing humans head and shoulders above even the most proficient animal communicators. But it also beguiles us with its endless mysteries, allowing us to ponder why different languages emerged, why there isn't simply a single language, how languages change over time and whether that's good or bad, and how languages die out and become extinct. Now you can explore all of these questions and more in an in-depth series of 36 lectures from one of America's leading linguists.
You'll be witness to the development of human language, learning how a single tongue spoken 150,000 years ago evolved into the estimated 6,000 languages used around the world today and gaining an appreciation of the remarkable ways in which one language sheds light on another.
The many fascinating topics you examine in these lectures include: the intriguing evidence that links a specific gene to the ability to use language; the specific mechanisms responsible for language change; language families and the heated debate over the first language; the phenomenon of language mixture; why some languages develop more grammatical machinery than they actually need; the famous hypothesis that says our grammars channel how we think; artificial languages, including Esperanto and sign languages for the deaf; and how word histories reflect the phenomena of language change and mixture worldwide.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Editor's Pick
A whole world of words
"Language is so weird. It can never be fully pinned down, and it evolves in fascinating and unpredictable ways. That’s what makes this course so fun. By examining the evolution of language, Professor John McWhorter elucidates a cross-section of history from a perspective we all take for granted. McWhorter knows all of the factoids behind the factoids, in multiple languages, making this course endlessly entertaining and eye-opening."
—Michael D., Audible Editor
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- By: Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,606
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Story5 out of 5 stars 2,571
Why have history's greatest minds - from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson along with today's top performers, from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities - embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers a daily devotional of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Not well made as audio
- By Andreas on 12-27-16
By: Ryan Holiday, and others
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Marcus Aurelius - Meditations: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader
- By: Marcus Aurelius, James Harris
- Narrated by: Gregory Allen Siders
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 213
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 167
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 167
Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. These books have been carefully adapted into modern English form to allow for easy listening. Enjoy!
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best translation
- By Anonymous User on 06-13-19
By: Marcus Aurelius, and others
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The Complete Book of Five Rings
- By: Miyamoto Musashi, Kenji Tokitsu - editor/translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,020
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,380
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,354
The Complete Book of Five Rings is an authoritative version of Musashi's classic The Book of Five Rings, translated and annotated by a modern martial arts master, Kenji Tokitsu. Tokitsu has spent most of his life researching the legendary samurai swordsman and his works, and in this book he illuminates this seminal text, along with several other works by Musashi.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best translation I have encountered.
- By DW on 05-27-16
By: Miyamoto Musashi, and others
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Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42,287
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36,433
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36,265
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
By: Michael Pollan
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I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t)
- Telling the Truth about Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power
- By: Brené Brown
- Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,852
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,974
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,917
Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we're all in this together.
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3 out of 5 stars
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I'm sure its great if you are a mother ....
- By Leslie A Hill on 08-09-11
By: Brené Brown
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,092
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 10,753
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 10,693
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Audible Masterpiece
- By Phoenician on 09-10-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
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The Mastery of Self
- A Toltec Guide to Personal Freedom
- By: Don Miguel Ruiz Jr.
- Narrated by: Charlie Varon
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4,328
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,578
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,558
The ancient Toltecs believed that life, as we perceive it, is a dream. We each live in our own personal dream, and these come together to form the dream of the planet, or the world in which we live. Problems arise when our perception of the dream becomes clouded with negativity, drama, and judgment (of ourselves and others), because it's in these moments of suffering that we have forgotten that we are the architects of our own reality and we have the power to change our dream if we choose.
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5 out of 5 stars
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listen.. .then listen again
- By Casiano on 12-22-16
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The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean
- By: M. Doreal
- Narrated by: John Marino
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,327
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,122
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,115
The history of the tablets translated in the following book is strange and beyond the belief of modern scientists. Their antiquity is stupendous, dating back some 36,000 years. The writer is Thoth, an Atlantean Priest-King, who founded a colony in ancient Egypt after the sinking of the mother country. He was the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, erroneously attributed to Cheops. In it he incorporated his knowledge of the ancient wisdom and also securely secreted records and instruments of ancient Atlantis.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellence...
- By Light Worker on 04-21-18
By: M. Doreal
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The Prophet
- By: Kahlil Gibran
- Narrated by: Riz Ahmed
- Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 991
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 843
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 841
On the face of it, a simple book of 26 poem fables sharing one man’s wisdom. But The Prophet is so much more than that. It has inspired people from John F Kennedy to The Beatles and became the '60s Bible of counterculture – all because of the timeless truths it shared. Each poem takes a different theme – pleasure, beauty, freedom, joy and sorrow – as the fictional Al Mustapha shares his thoughts and experiences as he prepares to travel back to his island home.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Riz Ahmed's Narraration Is So Moving!
- By Dee Tree on 09-12-21
By: Kahlil Gibran
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Buddhism for Beginners
- By: Thubten Chodron, His Holiness the Dalai Lama - foreword
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,155
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,835
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,815
This user’s guide to Buddhist basics takes the most commonly asked questions - beginning with “What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings?” - and provides simple answers in plain English. Thubten Chodron’s responses to the questions that always seem to arise among people approaching Buddhism make this an exceptionally complete and accessible introduction - as well as a manual for living a more peaceful, mindful, and satisfying Life.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing introduction to Buddhism
- By chad d on 07-02-15
By: Thubten Chodron, and others
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The Ethical Slut
- A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, & Other Adventures
- By: Janet W. Hardy, Dossie Easton
- Narrated by: Janet W. Hardy, Dossie Easton
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,400
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,774
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,746
For anyone who has ever dreamed of love, sex, and companionship beyond the limits of traditional monogamy, this groundbreaking guide navigates the infinite possibilities that open relationships can offer. Experienced ethical sluts Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy dispel myths and cover all the skills necessary to maintain a successful and responsible polyamorous lifestyle.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The information and advice is 100% totally solid!
- By Troy on 07-28-15
By: Janet W. Hardy, and others
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Eight Dates
- Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
- By: John Gottman PhD, Julie Schwartz Gottman PhD, Doug Abrams, and others
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin, Julie McKay
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,171
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 962
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 952
Navigating the challenges of long-term commitment takes effort - and it just got simpler, with this empowering, step-by-step guide to communicating about the things that matter most to you and your partner. Drawing on 40 years of research from their world-famous Love Lab, Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman invite couples on eight fun, easy, and profoundly rewarding dates, each one focused on a make-or-break issue: trust, conflict, sex, money, family, adventure, spirituality, and dreams.
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1 out of 5 stars
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What the F. Robot-reader???!?!?!
- By Anonymous User on 01-21-20
By: John Gottman PhD, and others
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The Debutante
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,331
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,104
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,101
Thirty years ago, award-winning journalist Jon Ronson stumbled on the mystery of Carol Howe—a charismatic, wealthy former debutante turned white supremacist spokeswoman turned undercover informant. In 1995, Carol was spying on Oklahoma’s neo-Nazis for the government just when Timothy McVeigh blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting but not compelling
- By Gail Jester on 04-15-23
By: Jon Ronson
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The Philosopher's Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room
- By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,179
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,003
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 992
Taught by award-winning Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, The Philosopher’s Toolkit: How to Be the Most Rational Person in Any Room arms you against the perils of bad thinking and supplies you with an arsenal of strategies to help you be more creative, logical, inventive, realistic, and rational in all aspects of your daily life.
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1 out of 5 stars
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This should NOT be an audio book
- By Brooks Emerson on 03-21-20
By: Patrick Grim, and others
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Medieval Myths & Mysteries
- By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,671
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,126
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,100
The 10 enlightening (and often humorous) lectures of Medieval Myths and Mysteries will show you how far from the “dark” times of legend these centuries were. Uncover the facts about the Knights Templar. Reveal the truth behind the tales of legendary creatures like the Questing Beast and the unicorn. Trace the events of the Black Death and the ways it altered the world in its wake, and much more. With Professor Armstrong, you will dig deep into the ways that later generations reshaped the narrative of the medieval years and perpetuated the myths.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Interesting, but centered on Britain
- By Ximena on 04-10-20
By: Dorsey Armstrong, and others
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars
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One of my top 3 favorite courses!
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History brought to life
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Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue
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A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, focusing on our strange and wonderful grammar. Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history.
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,720
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Tantalizing time trip
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The American Civil War
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
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The Celtic World
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Following the surge of interest and pride in Celtic identity since the 19th century, much of what we thought we knew about the Celts has been radically transformed. In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from.
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4 out of 5 stars
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I wish this had a different title
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Words on the Move
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Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant "blessed"? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Review By a Fan
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By: John McWhorter
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The Language Hoax
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This short, opinionated audiobook addresses the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which argues that the language we speak shapes the way we perceive the world. Linguist John McWhorter argues that while this idea is mesmerizing, it is plainly wrong. It is language that reflects culture and worldview, not the other way around.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I really love listening to language--and McWhorter
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Ancient Mesopotamia
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- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,547
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Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Time with a great scholar & fantastic lecturer
- By jgmegill on 07-14-18
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Ancient Civilizations of North America
- By: Edwin Barnhart, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edwin Barnhart
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- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,417
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,043
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,016
For the past few hundred years, most of what we’ve been taught about the native cultures of North America came from reports authored by the conquerors and colonizers who destroyed them. Now - with the technological advances of modern archaeology and a new perspective on world history - we are finally able to piece together their compelling true stories. In Ancient Civilizations of North America, Professor Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center, will open your eyes to a fascinating world you never knew existed - even though you’ve been living right next to it, or even on top of it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A different perspective - civilizations not tribes
- By Steve Goppert on 07-26-18
By: Edwin Barnhart, and others
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,302
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,977
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,937
What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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Woke Racism
- How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America
- By: John McWhorter
- Narrated by: John McWhorter
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,147
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,758
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Story5 out of 5 stars 2,723
Acclaimed linguist and award-winning writer John McWhorter argues that an illiberal neoracism, disguised as antiracism, is hurting Black communities and weakening the American social fabric.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Thank You
- By Withacy on 10-26-21
By: John McWhorter
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Norse Mythology
- By: Jackson Crawford, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Crawford
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 784
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 684
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Story5 out of 5 stars 680
Thor, Odin, Loki, Freyja, the Valkyries, Valhalla, Ragnarok — many of the places we encounter these and other names, places, and events from Norse mythology in daily life and pop culture are connected to the medieval sources in name only.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant Course
- By Frederik on 12-05-21
By: Jackson Crawford, and others
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The Real History of Secret Societies
- By: Professor Richard B. Spence, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Richard B. Spence
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,100
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 955
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 952
Welcome to The Real History of Secret Societies, a historical look at the true-life groups which, if you believe the myths, are the unspoken power behind some of the world’s major turning points, from controlling the British crown to holding back the electric car and keeping Martians and Atlantis under wraps. Prepare yourself. In this course brought to you in partnership with HISTORY®, you will be visiting some of history’s deepest rabbit-holes, across centuries and continents, in search of secret societies in all their varieties.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Far more politics than fraternity.
- By Tp on 11-25-19
By: Professor Richard B. Spence, and others
What listeners say about The Story of Human Language
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- K. Krieger
- 11-26-14
Excellent!
Where does The Story of Human Language rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Top 50 over all, Top 10 non-fiction
What other book might you compare The Story of Human Language to and why?
Neil deGrasse Tyson's Death by Black Hole. Interesting subject, excellent presentation
Which scene was your favorite?
First Lecture, when I realized this was going to be good
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Delight, when I realized this was going to be good
Any additional comments?
I have bought 3 more books from the Great Courses Series so far
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Thor
- 07-23-19
Fascinating and hilarious.
John McWhorter has a great sense of humor that makes this course very entertaining. I never knew linguistics could be so fascinating! I gave 4 stars for the “story” because this was recorded in 2004, and thus some of the information is likely not up to date.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vincent
- 02-28-19
Historical Gem.
To learn the history of language is to learn the history of mankind. I've been listening to books on Audible since 2011 and this is in the top 5 of the most educational books I've heard on Audible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- CLRFL
- 10-26-16
an absolute linguistic delight
the narrator is informative and entertaining. loved the entire series and learned lots of wonderful tidbits about how languages develop, morph and pass on throughout history. this course is not just for language buffs, but if ypu happen to be one, you'll find it especially interesting.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Fawkes
- 07-21-17
Great series!
I really enjoyed this series, very informative. Professor McWhorter is very entertaining. If you are interested in language, I'd give it a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- DXLi
- 05-27-16
Simply incredible intro to linguistics!
I always knew that I love languages, but this wonderful series showed me that I also love linguistics. Professor McWhorter does a wonderful job and is a joy to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michael L. Robinson
- 05-01-18
learning about humans
Definitely gained a better understanding of what language is. Also made me realize it's an important part of humanity and what makes us who we are.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen Darragh
- 02-03-15
So much more than I rxpected
This is the most interesting and well produced introduction to linguistics (for the novice) that I've come across. Get it and listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Savannah
- 08-14-15
Great set of lectures!
I enjoyed every minute of this lecture series. I basically binge-listened to the whole thing. As always John McWhorter's performance makes this an interesting and engaging topic. Definitely worth a listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- F. Stuart Leeds
- 04-01-15
Just superb!
A near-letter-perfect survey of linguistics, which is not only relentlessly entertaining and engaging, but is amazingly useful as well. This is an invaluable toolbox for deciphering how and why language works the way it does. And Dr. McWhorter is brilliant, witty, and a redoubtable master of the material. Don't miss this one!
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