Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been fascinated by the power of language for as long as I can remember. As a sociolinguist, I study how language shapes our relationships, identities, and the societies we live in. Iā€™ve spent years analyzing how people communicate in high-pressure environments like professional sports, but my passion for this topic goes far beyond my research. Language is everywhereā€”itā€™s how we connect, influence, and make sense of the world. The books on this list have deepened my understanding of the profound ways language impacts our lives. Iā€™m excited to share them with you and hope they inspire you to see language in a whole new light!


I wrote...

How Language Shapes Relationships in Professional Sports Teams: Power and Solidarity Dynamics in a New Zealand Rugby Team

By Kieran File,

Book cover of How Language Shapes Relationships in Professional Sports Teams: Power and Solidarity Dynamics in a New Zealand Rugby Team

What is my book about?

This book examines how language influences relationships within professional sports teams, focusing on the power and solidarity dynamics in aā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of That's Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships

Kieran File Why did I love this book?

This book really drew me to the power of language because it completely changed the way I think about everyday conversations and their power to shape relationships. Tannenā€™s exploration of conversational style taught me that it is not just what we say but how we say it that shapes our relationships. Misunderstandings Iā€™d brushed off made sense: the clashes between my need to be direct and others' preference for subtlety, for example, or why certain conversations left me feeling unheard.

This book was empowering and humbling at the same time. It offers a guide to better communication that doesnā€™t point fingers but helps you see the nuance in every exchange. If youā€™ve ever asked, ā€œWhy did they take that the wrong way?ā€ this book will resonate.

By Deborah Tannen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked That's Not What I Meant! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ā€œTannen combines a novelistā€™s ear for the way people speak with a rare power of original analysis....Fascinating.ā€
ā€”Oliver Sacks, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and The Mindā€™s Eye

In Thatā€™s Not What I Meant!, Deborah Tannen, renowned communication expert and author of the New York Times bestsellers Youā€™re Wearing THAT? and You Just Donā€™t Understand, explores how conversational styles can make or break interpersonal relationships at home, at work, or at play. Fans of her books and the healthily curious reader interested in popular psychology, feminism, linguistics, or social sciences will be fascinated byā€¦


Book cover of The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do men and women really speak different languages?

Kieran File Why did I love this book?

This book completely reshaped how I think about the differences in how men and women communicate or, more accurately, the myth of those differences. Cameronā€™s sharp, thought-provoking analysis challenges so many assumptions I didnā€™t even realize I was carrying.

Itā€™s not just a book about language; itā€™s about how society imposes stereotypes on communication and relationships. What I loved most was how this book made me question ā€œcommon senseā€ ideas Iā€™d always taken for granted. Itā€™s empowering to realize that those ideas arenā€™t set in stone but are constructed, often in ways that limit us.

Cameronā€™s voice is engaging and clear, making complex ideas feel accessible without losing their depth. This book left me with a deeper understanding of language, power, and the stories we tell ourselves about gender.

By Deborah Cameron,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Myth of Mars and Venus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Popular assumptions about gender and communication - famously summed up in the title of the massively influential 1992 bestseller Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus - can have unforeseen but far-reaching consequences in many spheres of life, from attitudes to the phenomenon of 'date-rape' to expectations of achievement at school, and potential discrimination in the work-place.

In this wide-ranging and thoroughly readable book, Deborah Cameron, Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication at Oxford University and author of a number of leading texts in the field of language and gender studies, draws on over 30 years of scientificā€¦


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Book cover of An Italian Feast: The Celebrated Provincial Cuisines of Italy from Como to Palermo

An Italian Feast by Clifford A. Wright,

An Italian Feast celebrates the cuisines of the Italian provinces from Como to Palermo. A culinary guide and book of ready reference meant to be the most comprehensive book on Italian cuisine, and it includes over 800 recipes from the 109 provinces of Italy's 20 regions.

An Italian Feast isā€¦

Book cover of Language Myths

Kieran File Why did I love this book?

The words "language" and "myth" have graced the covers of many books, but this one is my favorite. This collection, edited by Laurie Bauer and Peter Trudgill, brings together world-renowned linguists to tackle a spectrum of unhelpful and incorrect assumptions about language. What sets this book apart is its sharp focus on how peopleā€™s attitudes toward language often recreate damaging stereotypes.

Bauer, Trudgill, and their contributors, several of whom I was taught by, arrest these misconceptions with insights grounded in linguistic research. Each myth is debunked in short, punchy chapters that are as engaging as they are informative. I love how this book leaves you feeling smarter and better equipped to think critically about the language myths we encounter every day. 

By Laurie Bauer (editor), Peter Trudgill (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Language Myths as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A unique collection of original essays by 21 of the world's leading linguists. The topics discussed focus on some of the most popular myths about language: The Media Are Ruining English; Children Can't Speak or Write Properly Anymore; America is Ruining the English Language. The tone is lively and entertaining throughout and there are cartoons from Doonesbury andThe Wizard of Id to illustrate some of the points. The book should have a wide readership not only amongst students who want to read leading linguists writing about popular misconceptions but also amongst the large number of people who enjoy reading aboutā€¦


Book cover of How Language Works: How Babies Babble, Words Change Meaning, and Languages Live or Die

Kieran File Why did I love this book?

This book takes you on a fascinating journey through the many levels of languageā€”from the sounds we make to the way we use words to connect with others. David Crystal is not just an authority on language; heā€™s also an incredibly engaging writer who makes complex ideas feel accessible and exciting.

What I love about this book is how it balances insight and readability. Crystalā€™s enthusiasm for language shines through every page, reminding me of why I find language so endlessly fascinating. Whether heā€™s explaining how babies acquire speech or unpacking the nuances of social communication, Crystal has a way of making you see language in a new light. Itā€™s a must-read for anyone curious about the mechanics and magic of how we communicate.

By David Crystal,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked How Language Works as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Steven Pinker meets Bill Bryson in this landmark exploration of language.

In the author's own words, "How Language Works is not about music, cookery, or sex. But it is about how we talk about music, cookery, and sex-or, indeed, anything at all." Language is so fundamental to everyday life that we take it for granted. But as David Crystal makes clear in this work of unprecedented scope, language is an extremely powerful tool that defines the human species.

Crystal offers general readers a personal tour of the intricate workings of language. He moves effortlessly from big subjects like the originsā€¦


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Book cover of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs

What Walks This Way by Sharman Apt Russell,

Nature writer Sharman Apt Russell tells stories of her experiences tracking wildlifeā€”mostly mammals, from mountain lions to pocket miceā€”near her home in New Mexico, with lessons that hold true across North America. She guides readers through the basics of identifying tracks and signs, revealing a landscape filled with the marksā€¦

Book cover of Language and Power

Kieran File Why did I love this book?

This book dives into the ways language is intertwined with power in society. Faircloughā€™s analysis opened my eyes to how even the simplest phrases can reinforce hierarchies and ideologies.

Itā€™s not an easy read, and it has been written more for an academic audience, but itā€™s so rewardingā€“every chapter feels like peeling back another layer of how communication works beneath the surface. If youā€™re interested in the hidden ways language shapes society, this is a must. 

By Norman Fairclough,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Language and Power as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Language and Power is widely recognised both as a classic and an essential introductory textbook to the field of Critical Discourse Analysis. It focusses on how language functions in maintaining and changing power relations in modern society, the ways of analysing language which can reveal these processes and how people can become more conscious of them, as well as, more able to resist and change them.

In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, Norman Fairclough includes a substantial new introduction and brings the discussion up-to-date. He shows both the importance of the book in the development of critical discourse analysis over theā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

How Language Shapes Relationships in Professional Sports Teams: Power and Solidarity Dynamics in a New Zealand Rugby Team

By Kieran File,

Book cover of How Language Shapes Relationships in Professional Sports Teams: Power and Solidarity Dynamics in a New Zealand Rugby Team

What is my book about?

This book examines how language influences relationships within professional sports teams, focusing on the power and solidarity dynamics in a New Zealand rugby team. Through detailed analysis, it reveals how players and coaches use communication to navigate authority, build trust, and work together effectively in high-performance settings.

Blending real-world examples with accessible explanations, the book shows how language shapes team hierarchies and strengthens bonds. It offers a fresh perspective on the role of communication in teamwork, making it a valuable read for anyone interested in sports, leadership, or the ways language drives collaboration in dynamic environments.

Book cover of That's Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships
Book cover of The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do men and women really speak different languages?
Book cover of Language Myths

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Interested in language, communication, and the English language?

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