Fascinating facts on the origins, similarity, and history of languages. Example: English was selected over German as the official language of the United States...by only one vote. ( )

If your eccentric uncle was fascinated by language and you wrote down all the little tidbits he shared with you, this book would be the result. Although it's dated by now (anyone remember the Cold War?), for me that was part of its charm. [2006-08-23] ( )