Is Ebonics really a dialect or simply bad English? Do women and men speakdifferently? Will computers ever really learn human language? Does offensivelanguage harm children? These are only a few of the issues surrounding languagethat crop up every day. Most of us have very definite opinions on thesequestions one way or another. Yet as linguist Donna Jo Napoli points out inthis short and highly entertaining volume, many of our most deeply held ideasabout the nature of language and its role in our lives are either misconceivedor influenced by myths and stereotypesNapoli provides an entertaining tour through the world of language, examiningthese and other vexing and controversial language-related questions. Throughout,she encourages and leads the reader to use common-sense and everyday experiencerather than preconceived notions or technical linguistic expertise. Both herquestions and her conclusions are surprising, sometimes provocative, and alwaysentertaining. This volume is sure to engage both general readers and students oflanguage and linguistics at any level.