From technobabble to weasel words ,from language acquisition to language extinction, this collection of provocative selections explores language issues of current and enduring interest. Essays, poems, advertisements. and speeches provide a rich variety of genres and topics, all chosen to help students appreciate the power of language and become more confident.skilled writers.

New to the Fifth Edition.

New chapter on Technology and Langguage includes Nathan Cobb on gender wars in cyberspace and Ellen Ullman on her belief that computers have edistorted our opportunities for human relationships. Twenty-seven of the fifty-three readings are new to this edition, including essays by David Frum, Geneva Smithernan, Neil Postman, Rose Del Castilo Guilbault, and Ellen Goodman. New appendix on Writing and Documenting Sources provides students with a useful and handy reference.