Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing

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From the bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers comes a delightful exploration of language and its reflections on our lives. This collection of essays addresses intriguing questions: Why is the name 'Cleopatra' banned in Iceland? How do clocks 'talk' to the Nahua people of Mexico? If we are what we eat, are we also what we say? Daniel Tammet investigates the complexities and profound power of human language, revisiting his autistic childhood's numeric language and examining the music and patterns of words. He meets a skilled lip reader in Canada, learns about the revival of endangered languages like Manx, and corresponds with native Esperanto speakers. Tammet delves into the grammar of the telephone, reflects on the significance of vanishing dialects, and ponders whether chatbots can ever truly mimic humanity. From translation art to the lyricism of sign language, this work offers a captivating journey through words, letters, stories, and meanings, showcasing Tammet's remarkable literary and polyglot abilities.