Limits of Language - a wealth of information

Swedish linguist, Mikael Parvall, has written a fascinating book about languages for the general public. It is part “Book of Lists,” part “Guinness Book of World Records,” and part "Visual Encyclopedia," and it contains information on over one thousand languages! The subtitle of the book is "almost everything you didn't know you didn't know about language and languages." Parkvall answers questions such as these: Are there native speakers of Klingon? Has there ever been a state with Esperanto as its official language? What is the least useful dictionary ever produced? What is the world's smallest language? Does English have more words than other languages? In what country are people the most polyglot? Can words consist of consonants alone? He answers these questions and many more, providing an illuminating introduction to linguistics that all readers can appreciate and enjoy. Parkvall teaches and does research at Stockholm University, and has authored four other books on linguistics. He has expertise in Pidgin and Creole languages and the historical and geopolitical influences that affected their development.