The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
By John Pollack
Read by Pete Larkin
Unabridged
Format :
Library CD (In Stock)
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3 Formats: CD
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3 Formats: Library CD
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3 Formats: MP3 CD
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ISBN: 9798200090013
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ISBN: 9798200090006
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ISBN: 9798200090020
Runtime: | 4.97 Hours |
Category: | Nonfiction |
Audience: | Adult |
Language: | English |
Summary
Summary
The pun is commonly dismissed as the lowest form of wit, and punsters are often unpopular for their obsessive wordplay. But such attitudes are relatively recent developments. In The Pun Also Rises, John Pollack—a former World Pun Champion and presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton—explains why such wordplay is significant: It both revolutionized language and played a pivotal role in making the modern world possible. Skillfully weaving together stories and evidence from history, brain science, pop culture, literature, anthropology, and humor, The Pun Also Rises is an authoritative yet playful exploration of a practice that is common, in one form or another, to virtually every language on earth. At once entertaining and educational, this engaging book answers fundamental questions: Just what is a pun, and why do people make them? How did punning impact the development of human language, and how did that drive creativity and progress? And why, after centuries of decline, does the pun still matter?Editorial Reviews
Editorial Reviews
“A compelling exegesis on what puns are and why they matter.” —Los Angeles Times
“The best books on language are the ones that encourage us to reexamine what we think we know, and The Pun Also Rises does exactly that.” —Boston Globe
“A fun, cogent argument in favor of a dubious, often-damned art.” —Kirkus Reviews
Anyone with an interest in language is going to find this book fascinating. —David Crystal, author of How Language Works
Details
Details
Available Formats : | CD, Library CD, MP3 CD |
Category: | Nonfiction |
Runtime: | 4.97 |
Audience: | Adult |
Language: | English |
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