A history and discussion of language written specifically for a young audience in an accessible and entertaining style. He sheds light on fascinating aspects of linguistic history and looks forward to the future, exploring the effect of technology on our day-to-day reading, writing and speech. 'Crystal-clear, witty and informative, a book to bring out the linguist in us all' Roger McGough

David Crystal is one of the world's preeminent language specialists. Writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster, he is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has written nearly 100 books, including The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language, By Hook or By Crook: A Journey in Search of English, Txtng: The Gr8 Db8, The Stories of English, and Rediscover Grammar, and has published widely on phonetics, Shakespeare's language, and child language. In 1995 he was awarded the OBE for services to the English language. He lives in Holyhead, UK.