In a work that is part memoir, part monograph, Nigel Duffield offers a set of lyrical reflections on theories of Psycholinguistics, which is concerned with how speakers use the languages they control, as well as with how such control is acquired in the first place. Written for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike, this book offers a 'well-tempered' examination of the conceptual and empirical foundations of the field. In developing his ideas, the author draws on thirty years of direct professional experience of psycholinguistic theory and practice, across various sub-disciplines, including theoretical linguistics, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and philology. The author's personal experience as a language learner - more importantly, as the father of three bilingual children - also plays a crucial role in shaping the discussion. Using examples from popular literature, song, poetry, and comedy, the work examines many of the foundational questions that divide researchers from different intellectual traditions: these include the nature of 'linguistic competence', the arbitrariness of language, and the theoretical implications of variation between speakers and across languages.

The decision of the United States to join the first World War required a monumental effort by the government to ensure victory. The burgeoning industrial and agricultural economy of the nation had already mobilized in support of Great Britain, France and the allied forces. Without the support of the populace the war effort would fail. President Wilson’s administration spent millions of dollars to ensure the citizens would support the cause. In the course of doing so the voice of those opposed were silenced at the direction of the government. Thomas Kerl was one of those whose opinions were muzzled by government action. His biography reveals the story of a young man growing up in Nebraska. His father immigrated to this country at an early age from Bavaria and became a successful author of textbooks. Kerl grew up on the farmland inherited from his father, became educated and traveled around the country and the world. He moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and was elected as a state legislator. Intelligent and well-read, he was a farmer, educator, lawyer, philanthropist, land developer, and lover of the fine arts who shared his knowledge and opinions with neighbors and friends. His scandalous divorce made news throughout the state. After the war in Europe commenced, he made no anti-war speeches, wrote no editorials. But privately he expressed doubts to acquaintances. Government efforts to sway public opinion had incited anti-German behavior. Anyone who expressed anti-war sentiments was considered to be disloyal. His words were spun by the authorities into violations of the Espionage Act of 1917 and resulted in his trial in Federal Court in Nebraska. This recounting of one man’s life demonstrates how easily individual rights can be suppressed by the government. It gives insight into the reason the United States became involved in the war and how Federal propaganda efforts reached all levels of society.

James Anderson critically reinterprets the history of southern black education from Reconstruction to the Great Depression. By placing black schooling within a political, cultural, and economic context, he offers fresh insights into black commitment to education, the peculiar significance of Tuskegee Institute, and the conflicting goals of various philanthropic groups, among other matters. Initially, ex-slaves attempted to create an educational system that would support and extend their emancipation, but their children were pushed into a system of industrial education that presupposed black political and economic subordination. This conception of education and social order--supported by northern industrial philanthropists, some black educators, and most southern school officials--conflicted with the aspirations of ex-slaves and their descendants, resulting at the turn of the century in a bitter national debate over the purposes of black education. Because blacks lacked economic and political power, white elites were able to control the structure and content of black elementary, secondary, normal, and college education during the first third of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, blacks persisted in their struggle to develop an educational system in accordance with their own needs and desires.

"[An] enchanting anthology of nature poems. From the rain forests of Africa to the mountains of Japan, Judith Nicholls has brought toigether poems from many cultures, all of them celebrating out lovely Earth ... Includes poems by: Moira Andrews, Buson, Leonard Clark, Emily Dickinson, John Foster, J.W. Haackett, Issa, Kalidasa, Jean Kenward, A.M. Klein, Osip Mandelstam, David McCord, Grace Nichols, Mary Kawena Pukui, Priest Saigyo, Sappho, Ian Serraillier, Snorri Sturlason, Rabindranath Tagore, John Updike, Zaro Weil, Charlotte Zolotow"--Publisher's description