Language bestsellers

The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power.

What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson...

A Most Anticipated Title from: USA Today * The Guardian * Alma * Fodor’s * AV Club * Vogue * KatieCouric.com * BookRiot * Lithub

From New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg comes a dazzling memoir about unlocking and embracing her creativity—and how it saved her life.

In this brilliant, fierce, and funny memoir of transformation, Jami...

Find your voice, speak your truth, listen deeply—a guide to more meaningful and mindful conversations.

We spend so much of our lives talking to each other, but how much are we simply running on automatic—relying on old habits and hoping for the best? Are we able to truly hear others and speak our mind in a clear and kind way, without needing to... Read more »

A brash, enlightening, and wildly entertaining feminist look at gendered language and the way it shapes us, written with humor and playfulness that challenges words and phrases and how we use them.

“I get so jazzed about the future of feminism knowing that Amanda Montell’s brilliance is rising up and about to explode worldwide.”—Jill Soloway

The...

Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him... Read more »

How do master storytellers compel us? There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story, but few have used a scientific approach. In The Science of Storytelling, Will Storr applies dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to our myths and archetypes to show how we can tell better stories, revealing, among...

An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition will continue to spark creative minds for years to come.

For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious,... Read more »

Noam Chomsky is widely known and deeply admired for being the founder of modern linguistics, one of the founders of the field of cognitive science, and perhaps the most avidly read political theorist and commentator of our time. In these lectures, he presents a lifetime of philosophical reflection on all three of these areas of research to which... Read more »

Finished with Introduction to Finnish? Advance to Absolute Beginner Finnish!

Welcome to Absolute Beginner Finnish, Volume 1

Before you take that trip to Finland, get a solid foundation of Finnish first!

Start speaking Finnish in minutes and grasp the language, culture, and customs in just minutes more with Absolute Beginner Finnish, a completely... Read more »

If you want to learn Chinese in less time while also enjoying yourself, then pay attention...

What is the best way to learn Chinese? We should remember how we learned our own language when we were children. If we could learn a second language in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. 

Think of what a child does; he or she listens to what...

Always wanted to learn Greek? Or, are you planning to visit Greece and want to speak with confidence?

Whether you're a beginner or are prepping for a trip, you'll love this Audiobook compilation.

With Traveling to Greece, your trip to Greece will be smooth and enjoyable. Why? You will learn and master travel phrases for getting around, basic...

Dreyer's English

“Listening to this is so much fun. Dreyer has a droll wit—occasionally smug, in a charming way—and he turns grammar and style into an entertaining puzzle. And this stuff really does matter! It’s a great listen. I’ve been snorting with laughter having to rewind to hear what I missed!”

Jennifer, Blue Willow Bookshop

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

“Road trips are great for audiobooks! The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig is the perfect listen for cozying up under a blanket and ruminating in your melancholy. I know it sounds super depressing, but it's actually oddly comforting. The author's voice is really soothing, so it wasn't the best for a long drive, but I still really enjoyed it.”

Anna, Katy Budget Books

What does it take to reinvent a language?

After a meteoric rise, China today is one of the world’s most powerful nations. Just a century ago, it was a crumbling empire with literacy reserved for the elite few, as the world underwent a massive technological transformation that threatened to leave them behind. In Kingdom of Characters, Jing Tsu... Read more »

In Other Words

“Lahiri traces the origins, tribulations, and tiny victories that have fueled her decades-long courtship with the Italian language in a bilingual memoir that reads more like an intimate diary. The chapters and short stories offer a vivid timeline of Lahiri's turbulent relationship with language, bouncing around from English to Bengali during her childhood, immersing herself in the Italian culture by moving her family overseas, and finally attempting to write a book in a new voice. In Other Words is much more than an attempt -- at self-reflection and reinvention it's a mastery.”

Carly Lenz, Boswell Book Company

The long-awaited guide to writing long-form nonfiction by the legendary author and teacher Draft No. 4 is an elucidation of the writer's craft by a master practitioner. In a series of playful but expertly wrought essays, John McPhee shares insights he's gathered over his career and refined during his long-running course at Princeton University,... Read more »

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn European Portuguese
With Pimsleur you’ll become conversational in European Portuguese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve... Read more »

What’s the secret of the old marble bust Michael is trying to ship off to a distant relative? Will Manfred and Sabine ever escape the doldrums of everyday life and finally go on vacation? What’s a birthday without a cake? Why does Sarah hate superheroes? And what’s wrong with Mrs Margolis BMW?

This book is designed to provide beginners and...

For upper beginners of Japanese and higher.

Learn Japanese vocabulary while listening to the stories of Momotaro and Usagi to Kame (Tortoise and the Hare).

Both stories are presented in four ways:

1) Story read slowly

2) Story read line-by-line followed by vocabulary in Japanese and English

3) Story read normal speed

4) Finally, the story read in...

An essay collection exploring his education as a man, writer, and activist—and how we form our identities in life and in art.

As a novelist, Alexander Chee has been described as “masterful” by Roxane Gay, “incendiary” by the New York Times, and “brilliant” by the Washington Post. With How to Write an Autobiographical Novel, his first collection...

The first novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! story-structure series, which reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success.

Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing.... Read more »

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story.

It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story... Read more »

Before and After the Book Deal

“Even better than answering the questions a writer is afraid to ask, this book more importantly answers the questions a writer may not know to ask. Filled with anecdotal examples (both negative and positive), humor, and a lot of common sense advice, this book covers everything an aspiring writer might need to know, including how to deal with agents, editors, publishers, advances, social media, book tours, movie/TV rights, depression, failure, and, yes, even success.”

Keith Glaeske, East City Bookshop

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson—the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent—brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells...

Consider This

“After listening to the audiobook recording of Consider This, I felt invigorated enough that I almost thought, "Should I write a book?" I'm not a writer, but Palahniuk's tapestry of stories and advice for the craft feels so vibrant and useful that it makes the reader (or listener, in my case) feel prepared to venture into the world of writing, and it reminds us that the most powerful stories are the ones that bring out more stories in the people interacting with it. Palahniuk's words (read with exquisite energy by Edoardo Ballerini in the audiobook) combine his own experiences and advice with stories collected from readers, booksellers, agents, and other authors he's encountered over the years. Whether or not you're a writer, Consider This will engage, titillate, and at times frighten you.”

Lelia, One More Page

A selection of essays on writing and reading by the master short-fiction writer Lydia Davis

Lydia Davis is a writer whose originality, influence, and wit are beyond compare. Jonathan Franzen has called her "a magician of self-consciousness," while Rick Moody hails her as "the best prose stylist in America." And for Claire Messud, "Davis's... Read more »

“One of the great reporters of our time and probably the greatest biographer.” —The Sunday Times (London)

From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Power Broker and The Years of Lyndon Johnson: an unprecedented gathering of vivid, candid, deeply moving recollections about his experiences researching and writing his acclaimed... Read more »

A short and entertaining book on the modern art of writing well by New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker

Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing? Why should any of us care?

In The Sense of Style, the... Read more »

Elaine Scarry bases her study on a wide range of sources: literature and art, medical case histories, documents on torture compiled by Amnesty International, legal transcripts of personal injury trials, and military and strategic writings by such figures as Clausewitz, Churchill, Liddell Hart, and Kissinger, She weaves these into her discussion... Read more »

A page-turning, existential romp through the life and times of the world’s most polarizing punctuation mark

The semicolon. Stephen King, Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Orwell detest it. Herman Melville, Henry James, and Rebecca Solnit love it. But why? When is it effective? Have we been misusing it? Should we even care?

In Semicolon, Cecelia Watson...

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Mandarin Chinese
With Pimsleur you’ll become conversational in Mandarin Chinese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve learned, so... Read more »

With President Trump suggesting that teachers arm themselves, with the NRA portrayed as a group of "patriots" helping to Make America Great Again, with high school students across the country demanding a solution to the crisis, everyone in America needs to engage in the discussion about our future with an informed, historical perspective on the... Read more »

For a thousand generations, human beings viewed themselves as part of the wider community of nature, and they carried on active relationships not only with other people but with other animals, plants, and natural objects (including mountains, rivers, winds, and weather patterns) that we have only lately come to think of as "inanimate." How,... Read more »

In Where the Past Begins, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Valley of Amazement Amy Tan reveals herself in a way she never has before, delving into her childhood, adolescence, family history, beginnings as a writer and professional life to explore the answers to questions of purpose and meaning that we all ask ourselves as we get...

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Mandarin Chinese
With Pimsleur you’ll become conversational in Mandarin Chinese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve learned, so... Read more »

Greek to Me

“What a pleasure to again spend a few hours with Mary Norris. The author of Between You & Me is back with a second book, and this time her subject is all things Greek — the language, the people, the mythology, and the culture.Greek to Me recounts Norris’ experiences learning Greek and traveling the country while putting her new skills to the test. As in her first book, Norris is excellent company, spinning tales and charming readers. Blending memoir, history, and travel, all topped off with heaps of wordy nerdiness, Greek to Me is a joy to read.”

David Enyeart, Next Chapter Booksellers

Looking for a Spanish book?Do you want to learn Spanish very fast?

If so, this bundle is for you.

Most people approach a new language completely wrong. They focus way to much on grammar and learn irrelevant words. Think about it, do you really need to know what a e.g. Chimney is called in Spanish? No - Of course not. That's why it's so strange why...

WANT TO LEARN FRENCH THE EASIEST AND MOST EXCITING WAY POSSIBLE?

YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

Learning a second language is a great mental exercise if you want to create new neural pathways in your brain, so you can stay quick and sharp. Plus, learning a widely spoken language – French in particular – can open up a myriad of new opportunities for... Read more »

Do you know why… …a mortgage is literally a death pledge? …why guns have girls’ names? …why salt is related to soldier? You’re about to find out… The Etymologicon (e-t?-‘mä-lä-ji-kän) is: *Witty (wi-te\): Full of clever humor *Erudite (er-?-dit): Showing knowledge *Ribald (ri-b?ld): Crude, offensive The Etymologicon is a completely... Read more »

Across North America, dedicated language warriors are powering an upswell, a resurgence, a revitalization of indigenous languages and cultures. Through deliberate suppression and cultural destruction, the five hundred languages spoken on the continent before contact have dwindled to about 150. Their ongoing survival depends on immediate,... Read more »

WANT TO LEARN ITALIAN THE EASIEST AND MOST EXCITING WAY POSSIBLE?

YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

Learning a second language is a great mental exercise if you want to create new neural pathways in your brain, so you can stay quick and sharp. Plus, learning a widely spoken language – Italian in particular – can open up a myriad of new opportunities... Read more »

A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler offers a blueprint for a creative life from the perspective of award-winning science-fiction writer and “MacArthur Genius” Octavia E. Butler. It is a collection of ideas about how to look, listen, breathe — how to be in the world. 

This audiobook is about the creative process.... Read more »

Benny Lewis, who speaks over ten languages—all self-taught—runs the largest language-learning blog in the world, Fluent In 3 Months. Lewis is a full-time "language hacker," someone who devotes all of his time to finding better, faster, and more efficient ways to learn languages. Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any...

In the tradition of Simon Winchester and Dava Sobel, The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code tells one of the most intriguing stories in the history of language, masterfully blending history, linguistics, and cryptology with an elegantly wrought narrative.

When famed archaeologist Arthur Evans unearthed the ruins of a... Read more »

Letters to a Young Writer

“Believe it or not, this audiobook is the first book by Colum McCann I have listened to, or read. McCann is an excellent narrator, and this book is the perfect one to listen to, rather than read. McCann's writing and philosophical advice is candid, supportive, and honest. Some of his best advice includes keeping your are in the chair, attacking the white page. doing relentless research your research, and reading widely and deeply. This book is truly a book for all writers, not just young writers or those new to the craft. Colum McCann is not only passionate on giving advice about writing, but he is adamant about the importance of writing in an uncertain time. Highly recommended.”

John, Main Point Books

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Japanese
With Pimsleur, you’ll become conversational in Japanese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve learned, so you can put it... Read more »

Sick of boring thick textbooks you can’t pay attention to? Having trouble learning new vocab or phrases? Want to speed up your French learning and take it to the next level?

Let your subconscious mind do the work for you. It's as easy as turning the track on and falling asleep!

The Swiss National Science Foundation claims that listening to a...

LEARN THE SECOND MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN THE WORLD AND HAVE REAL-LIFE CONVERSATIONS WITHIN LESS THAN A MONTH EVEN IF YOU´RE A COMPLETE BEGINNER

So, it’s settled... your next vacation is going to be in Spain!

Your mouth begins watering as you book your trip. You’ll start in Barcelona, making your way down the east coast, catching the beaches and... Read more »

Inspired by her own experiences stationed in Baghdad during Saddam Hussein's rule, former foreign correspondent Gina Wilkinson's evocative, suspenseful debut is told through the eyes of three very different women in Iraq at the turn of the millennium.

At night, in Huda's fragrant garden, a breeze sweeps in from the desert encircling Baghdad,... Read more »

If You Want People to Read Your Book,
Writing It Is Only the Beginning

There has truly never been a better time to be an author. For the first time, authors have direct access to the public via the Internet—and can create a community eagerly awaiting their book. But where do new authors start? How do they sort through the dizzying range of online... Read more »