Through the Language Glass is not a book for everyone. It’s a book for linguists, anthropologists, and linguaphiles.
Painstakingly researched, thoroughly summarized, and extensively drafted for the most accurate account of whether the world looks different in other languages.
I began looking for a book on that subject after watching the movie Arrival. The movie’s premise is based on the theory that language can shape our perception of reality. I found that idea fascinating and even with some merit, and so I wanted to learn more about it.
That search led me to this book, which seems to be one of the few accessible books on that theory.
In the book, the author details distinctions between the influence of nature and culture on languages and how one can shape the other. It summarizes how the development of the languages we speak is a result of both the need for survival and communication. A fascinating overview that can get you thinking about how human cultures evolve and how each culture can uniquely equip its people with diverse skills and abilities.
The book is 300+ pages long, but the actual crux of the matter is covered in 249 pages. The rest of it is the author’s notes and an informal bibliography.
However, the first 100-120 pages are a test of patience; the author builds his case through extensive historical reconstruction, and I often found myself wondering when he would consolidate his argument. The discussion of colours and how they got their names lingered far too long, in my opinion. One thing I noticed prominently was the lack of research on Asian languages, not by Guy Deutscher per se, but by most of the linguistic community. Sanskrit, one of the most historically influential languages in the Indo-European tradition, is never touched upon, and so on.
But the author makes up for it by fairly admitting in the book that the lens through which the early conclusions were made is centered around the Anglo-centric or Eurocentric worldview, and at times, was even led by social and scientific racism.
It makes you wonder how much of the research in the world is based on the biases of the worldview of the researchers.
That is where scholars like the author of this book become valuable because of their academic rigor, objective observations, and scientific integrity. Throughout the book, you will find him being candid about collective ignorance of the academic community, while appearing quietly entertained yet mildly exasperated by fashionable but flimsy theorizing. Frequently leading the narrative of the book with his dry academic sarcasm.
The information presented in the book, I think, sort of summarizes most of the noteworthy research that has happened in this area of linguistics and is a reliable piece of literature for anyone wanting to explore this topic in further depth.
You cannot glide through the book. It demands sustained attention and comfort with abstract reasoning. The prose prioritizes precision over fluidity, which can make sections feel dense.
Overall, even though it’s a difficult book, the author has taken on a great endeavour to contextualize such an important aspect of human evolution, and it also highlights the slow and unglamorous nature of serious scholarship. The author captures this spirit in his own words, “tempting to rest until the light of understanding shines upon us. But if we are led into this temptation, your kingdom will never come.”
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