David Crystal (Spell It Out; The Story of English in 100 Words) explores exactly what makes an English conversation function in Let's Talk. English has dozens of words to describe different types of conversations: banter, chat, confab, gossip, harangue, joke, prattle and rant, to name a few. And from greetings to turn-taking to storytelling to online conversations, Crystal explores the many ways and styles in which English speakers communicate. He explains that there's one defining quality that separates conversation from every other variety of language except literature: "its semantically random and unpredictable nature."
Crystal unpacks this randomness to show how conversation is created, and even points out fallacies in the common conception of conversation. For example, most people would say that interrupting is rude or inhibits discourse, but Crystal explains, after examining recordings, that most interruptions are seen as "signs of solidarity or rapport."
Language has changed dramatically in the last century with the advent of telephones and the Internet, but Crystal assures readers that basic conversational models are unlikely to change, using examples of literature from Shakespeare to Percy Jackson to support his arguments. Full of interesting conversational models and some funny anecdotes from Crystal's own life, Let's Talk will make people think much harder the next time someone wishes them a casual "Good morning!" Let's Talk is perfect for armchair linguists. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.