Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing..., Daniel Tammet
Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing..., Daniel Tammet
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Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing
Encounters with the Mysteries and Meanings of Language

Author: Daniel Tammet

Narrator: Daniel Tammet

Unabridged: 10 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/12/2017

Synopsis

A mind-expanding, deeply humane tour of language by the bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers.

Is vocabulary destiny? Why do clocks "talk" to the Nahua people of Mexico? Will A.I. researchers ever produce true human-machine dialogue? In this mesmerizing collection of essays, Daniel Tammet answers these and many other questions about the intricacy and profound power of language.

In Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing, Tammet goes back in time to London to explore the numeric language of his autistic childhood; in Iceland, he learns why the name Blær became a court case; in Canada, he meets one of the world's most accomplished lip readers. He chats with chatbots; contrives an "e"-less essay on lipograms; studies the grammar of the telephone; contemplates the significance of disappearing dialects; and corresponds with native Esperanto speakers - in their mother tongue.

A joyous romp through the world of words, letters, stories, and meanings, Every Word Is a Bird We Teach to Sing explores the way communication shapes reality. From the art of translation to the lyricism of sign language, these essays display the stunning range of Tammet's literary and polyglot talents.

About Daniel Tammet

Daniel Tammet grew up in London and briefly taught English as a second language in Lithuania. He has been extensively studied at California's Center for Brain Studies and at the Cambridge Autism Research Centre. Today he lives with his partner Neil in Southeast England, and raises money for charities to help people with neurological disorders.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Krista on July 05, 2018

You are what you say – well, maybe, up to a point. Every voice carries certain personality traits – the tongue-tiedness of one; of another, the overreaching vowels. Every voice, in preferringdinnertosupper, or in pronouncingthisasdis, betrays traces of its past. But vocabulary is not destiny.......more

Goodreads review by Katie on December 01, 2017

I thought it was offensive that some critics thought this author’s earlier memoir might be a one-off ‘disability memoir’. However, I have to admit that part of what made me think he would have something interesting to say is the belief that someone with autism might have a different perspective on t......more

Goodreads review by fiafia on February 09, 2018

J'ai beaucoup aimé Je suis né un jour bleu de Daniel Tammet, ce qui explique d'ailleurs mon intérêt pour celui-ci. Cependant, les deux livres sont bien différents. Si Je suis né un jour bleu a été le récit de sa vie, son parcours, ses difficultés, sa découverte du monde et de sa propre personnalité,......more

Goodreads review by Tracey Allen on October 22, 2017

Every Word Is A Bird We Teach To Sing - Encounters with the Mysteries and Meanings of Language is a collection of essays by Daniel Tammet. Daniel is an autistic savant with synaesthesia and his love of language and words intrigued me enough to pick up this book and find out more. What I learned quic......more

Goodreads review by David on December 29, 2022

Maybe 3.5 stars. Overall I liked this book and found each chapter interesting, but it's more of a collection of essays with nothing connecting the chapters except that they're all about language. Each chapter/essay basically explores a specific encounter with something language related (specific idi......more

Quotes

"A fascinating journey through language and some of its many varied forms and uses."—Booklist (starred review)

"Like Oliver Sacks' compendium of rare neurological anomalies, Tammet's intriguing cases of linguistic idiosyncrasies expand our notions on what it means to be human. He gives insight ranging from cultural perception and social dominance, to the features of Esperanto as a universal language. Most fascinating is Tammet's own astonishing linguistic mind, in which a single word evokes fully textured experiences -- an innate ability that would dazzle any storyteller in love with words and their deepest meanings."—Amy Tan

"[An] insightful collection of 15 essays that explore language and its underappreciated nuances... Tammet is generous in his acceptance of many different forms and styles of communication. His essays will be eye-openers for anyone who takes the meaning of words on the printed page for granted."
—Publishers Weekly

"Tammet's voice -- witty, thoughtful and erudite -- pulls readers along. His enthusiasm for language makes such niche topics as Icelandic baby names and the intricacies of L'Academie Francaise fascinating and accessible."—Shelf Awareness

"A cerebral jaunt though spoken, printed, championed and neglected words....Through Tammet's beautifully written explanations of the way his mind comprehends words (many words -- the author speaks 11 languages), readers may discover trapdoors flinging open in their own brains, revealing head-cocking perspectives on how to get one's point across."
—Washington Post

"Tammet takes us on a series of thought-provoking journeys as he probes the depth and intricacies of how language profoundly affects behavior at every social and political level. Through these memoir-like essays, Tammet demonstrates his eclectic approach to an exploration of the richness of language and its profound effect on his own life and those about whom he writes... this whirlwind narrative mirrors the author's polyglot talents... Those interested in language, words, meaning, and sociolinguistics will find this slim volume to be a transforming read. General readers will also find this highly readable work engaging."—Library Journal

Praise for Thinking in Numbers
"Enlarges one's wonder at Tammet's mind and his all-embracing vision of the world as grounded in numbers." --Oliver Sacks, MD

"A book about words and language might sound dry or lofty, but Tammet's writing is lucid, thoughtful and often funny, drawing readers in and leaving us thinking a little differently about language."

—Sarah McCraw Crow, Bookpage

"A delightful, diverse collection of essays. Great fun and the perfect gift for any math-phobic person, young or old." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Tammet is a master of gleaning profound insights from seemingly mundane trivia...This is a delightful book." --Publishers Weekly (starred and boxed review)

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