{"product_id":"pronoun-trouble-the-story-of-us-in-seven-little-words-9780593713280","title":"Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words","description":"\u003cb\u003eWith his trademark humor and flair, bestselling linguist John McWhorter busts the myths and shares the history of the most controversial language topic of our times: pronouns\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe nature of language is to shift and evolve--but every so often, a new usage creates a whole lot of consternation. These days, pronouns are throwing curveballs, and it matters, because pronoun habits die hard. If you need a refresher from eighth-grade English: Pronouns are short, used endlessly, and serve to point and direct, to orient us as to what is meant about who. \u003ci\u003eHim, not her. Me, not you.\u003c\/i\u003e Pronouns get a heavy workout, and as such, they become part of our hardwiring. To mess with our pronouns is to mess with \u003ci\u003eus\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e But many of today's hot-button controversies are nonsense. The singular \u003ci\u003ethey\u003c\/i\u003e has been with us since the 1400s and appears in Shakespeare's works. In fact, many of the supposedly iron-clad rules of grammar are up for debate (\u003ci\u003eBilly and me went to the store \u003c\/i\u003eis perfectly logical!), and with tasty trivia, unexpected twists, and the weird quirks of early and contemporary English, John McWhorter guides readers on a journey of how our whole collection of these little words emerged and has changed over time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJohn H. McWhorter\u003c\/b\u003e teaches linguistics, American studies, and music history at Columbia University. He is the host of the podcast\u003ci\u003e Lexicon Valley \u003c\/i\u003eand writes a weekly column for \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e. McWhorter is the author of twenty-three books, including \u003ci\u003eNine Nasty Words\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWoke Racism\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Power of Babel\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eOur Magnificent Bastard Tongue\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Avery Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51186929697042,"sku":"9780593713280","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ed57918c-8d34-4505-b0c9-e60217c287c7.jpg?v=1744634626","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/pronoun-trouble-the-story-of-us-in-seven-little-words-9780593713280","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}