Social Linguistics

Almost as soon as it appeared, the crossword puzzle became indispensable to our lives. Invented practically by accident in 1913, when a newspaper editor at the New York World was casting around for something to fill empty column space, it became a roaring commercial success almost overnight. Ever since then, the humble puzzle has been an essential ingredient of any newspaper worth its salt. But why, exactly, are the crossword’s satisfactions so sweet.

Everyone is vulnerable to these secret mind control techniques...Learn how to protect yourself now! Mind control techniques are everywhere. It doesn’t matter how smart or how naturally skeptical you are - you’re still prone to dark psychology tricks because they play upon fundamental human feelings. Your only weapon against psychological manipulators - no matter if salespeople, politicians, or toxic people in your social circle - is knowledge. Once you’re able to see through their tricks, they lose their power.

Daniel Hahn is a generous and winning guide. Traveling the world, he speaks to writers engaging with Shakespeare’s work and shares stories of his own. If This Be Magic does not require knowledge of any other language or more than a passing acquaintance with the Bard’s canon, but draws out surprising and fascinating insights on both. As nerdy as they come (there is an unapologetic chapter on commas) and often funny, this is a book for everyone and a fitting tribute to the Globe’s Bard.

In Why We Talk Funny, linguist Valerie Fridland unlocks the secrets of what linguistic science, psychology and history can tell us about the evolution of human speech, why accents develop, and how they shape our professional and social lives. With a healthy dose of her signature humor and captivating anecdotes, Fridland explores how the twin forces of physiology and psychology along with the need to fit in changes the trajectory of speech over languages and lifetimes, divingdeep into the history and social forces driving the way people talk.

The Chronicles of Clovis, which was published in 1911, was the third of Saki's collections of short stories. The character of Clovis Sangrail is, like Saki's earlier hero, Reginald, vain, sarcastic, and self-regarding and another vehicle for Saki's delicious, biting wit satirizing Edwardian high society in some of the funniest exquisite literary miniatures.

Soon-to-be heiress Betty Stanhope is a runaway bride, but not for the usual reasons - she didn't flee because of a change of heart. Reluctant about the wedding at the outset, the dutiful Betty reaches the altar to find that her groom is a different man altogether and someone she's dreaded most of her life! Before the wedding can proceed, she is taken to a room to recover from her fainting spell.

The timid and cowardly Henry Jones alone knows the whereabouts of a second will, which disinherits him from his uncle's property. During his guilt throes he arouses the suspicions of all around him.

L. Frank Baum called this and The Wizard of Oz his two best books! A magic umbrella transports Trot, Buttonbright, and Cap'n Bill to an island in the sky inhabited by the Blues, the Pinks, and the evil Boolooroo.

During a high society party set in New York City in the early 1900s, a beautiful woman is murdered and her precious diamond stolen. A young woman attending the party had just accepted a marriage proposal from a handsome young man. Unfortunately, the young man is the prime suspect in the murder due to circumstantial evidence. From there, the story takes many twists and turns before the identity of the killer is finally revealed.

Jimmy Torrance, Jr., was a champion athlete in college, if not the brightest scholar. Upon graduation in 1919, he emerges starry-eyed into the grand metropolis of Chicago, cocksure that he will immediately be hired as the manager of a large business. But the real world differs measurably from Jimmy's grandiose expectations.

"Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" is a masterpiece of polished cynicism in which poison, explosive clocks, and finally murder forerun married bliss. Also included are: "The Canterville Ghost", "The Model Millionaire", "The Young King", "The Fisherman and His Soul", "The Happy Prince", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Portrait of Mr. W. H." These eight stories were produced in the heyday of Wilde's career.

The master of adventure, Edgar Rice Burroughs, tackles the Frankenstein myth. A demented scientist discovers how to create human life - not perfect but improving steadily with each attempt. He is forced to flee to remote Borneo to continue his gruesome experiments; each experiment becomes one of the Monster Men. Add a beautiful young daughter, a scheming criminal as assistant, head hunters, and wild jungle terrain, and you have The Monster Men!

New York socialite Kit McNair decides to host an impromptu dinner party at the home of her friend, Jimmy Wilson, to cheer him up following his divorce. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a fairy tale about two kings who bluster and stumble into a hilarious non-war, a princess who finds true love in an unexpected place, and a conniving, beautiful Countess whose poetry was stolen by Shelley. The plot is driven by a bent ginger whisker, seven-league boots, two cloaks of darkness, and stiff notes. The characters are three-dimensional; the satire is gentle and wise. There is whimsy in every minute.

One of Trollope's best short novels tells of a father's vacillation over his daughter's wish to marry his nephew, who is a scamp and a wastrel. Although a sad tale, it is nonetheless brightened with Trollope's inevitable touches of humor.

As we notice the ways we need to grow and change, NLP helps us master ourselves before teaching us how to master the communications skills we need to be effective with others. The benefits of knowing and using NLP have been around since the 1970s, and today companies and professionals around the world use it to boost their team’s interpersonal and individual success. By using NLP, whether you’re in the boardroom or the living room, you can learn how to quickly improve yourself and influence others for the better!

We all know the pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. The Germans named this delight in another's failure schadenfreude (from schaden damage, and freude, joy), and it has perplexed philosophers and psychologists for centuries. Schadenfreude illuminates this hidden emotion, inviting listeners to reflect on its pleasures and how we use other people's miseries to feel better about ourselves. With its exploratory, evocative form, it weaves examples from literature, philosophy, film, and music together with personal observation and historical and cultural analysis.

A memoir and a call to action, this intimate look at America’s long-standing struggle to adequately educate vulnerable children offers valuable insights for effecting change in families, communities, and nationwide.

James' admiration for one of America's greatest authors is contagious. Hawthorne's life, novels, and short stories are all touched upon with reverence - yet James gently takes him to task when the need arises!

Napoleon's presumptuous but unsung hero, the Brigadier Gerard, faces certain death at every turn while outwitting the enemies of France! Gerard careens across Europe, swept along in the ebb and flow of the Napoleonic wars.