Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages

Book Description

A dramatic account of the rate of language extinction, and how it endangers the future of biodiversity Few people know that nearly 100 native languages once spoken in what is now California are near extinction, or that most of Australia's 250 aboriginal languages have vanished. In fact, at least half of the world's languages may die out in the next century. What has happened to these voices? Should we be alarmed about the disappearance of linguistic diversity? The authors of Vanishing Voices assert that this trend is far more than simply disturbing. Making explicit the link between language survival and environmental issues, they argue that the extinction of languages is part of the larger picture of near-total collapse of the worldwide ecosystem. Indeed, the authors contend that the struggle to preserve precious environmental resources-such as the rainforest-cannot be separated from the struggle to maintain diverse cultures, and that the causes of language death, like that of ecological destruction, lie at the intersection of ecology and politics. And while Nettle and Romaine defend the world's endangered languages, they also pay homage to the last speakers of dying tongues, such as Red Thundercloud, a Native American in South Carolina, Ned Mandrell, with whom the Manx language passed away in 1974, and Arthur Bennett, an Australian, the last person to know more than a few words of Mbabaram. In our languages lies the accumulated knowledge of humanity. Indeed, each language is a unique window on experience. Vanishing Voices is a call to preserve this resource, before it is too late.

Customer Reviews:

important subject, worthy book.......2007-08-09

This is an outstanding book. Nettle & Romaine have produced a serious, well-reasoned analysis of linguistic depletion. They ground their analysis with historical surveys covering the origins of human language as well as the effect on languages of colonialism all over the world.

I haven't written an amazon review before, but I think some of the previous reviewers do this book a disservice. N&R give many examples of how certain types of economic development have disrupted traditional cultures and languages. To ask that they "avoid politics" as one reviewer does is silly. These are concrete power relations they are describing. Really, their political engagement is commendable. I didn't expect it from such a scholarly book.

N&R present a thoughtful analysis of the impediments to the goals of "rural development, sustainability, and cultural/linguistic pluralism." I was particularly impressed by their description of the superiority of traditional Balinese rice-growing methods to those forced in place by the Asian Development Bank. (The ADB concluded "the cost of the lack of appreciation of the merits of the traditional system has been high..." p170) N&R point to models of economic development that utilize traditional knowledge rather than disregarding it, as neoliberal top-down schemes do.

If you are at all interested in sustainable development, the problems of globalization, or preservation of traditional cultures, the authors bring a linguistic perspective to the intersection of all three that is invaluable.

Also, I was intrigued by their linkage of linguistic diversity to biological diversity. It is striking how closely they correlate geographically. If there's one thing I would have liked in the book, it would have been a brief account of the generation of new languages. But I guess that's why we have poets.

This book is well-written, and presents arguments both broad in scope and subtle in detail. I highly recommend it.

Important and interesting topic, but presented as a diatribe.......2006-08-28

This book presents an important, pressing concern for all humanity, namely the rapid loss of most of the world's languages. The authors rightly present this problem as one in urgent need of attention and help. However, the authors make their case in a rambling diatribe, with very overt political commentary. They proceed to comment on agricultural processes (they never mention that the agricultural revolution saved millions from starvation), capitalism, globalization, make subtle anti-Western jibes, etc. They praise French-language measures adopted in Quebec, but fail to discuss the numerous critiques of, nor the alleged socioeconomic losses to Quebec that resulted. They praise and cite as examples for future action everywhere language-immersion programs in places like Ireland, New Zealand, and Hawaii, yet none of these situations is remotely close to the situation of most endangered languages in the world in terms of population size, resources, state support, etc. If the authors had focused on the subject at hand and avoided politics, this book could have been so much better.

Poor analogies, and no real argument.......2003-06-06

Vanishing Voices does a good job of showing how larger languages are destroying smaller ones, and the methods of language death. This is all pretty much common knowledge. However, the authors fail in their attempt to give a reason as to WHY language death is something with which we should be concerned. The only argument they put forth is in a ecological/enviromental analogy, which says that biological diversity is good and stable, therefore, linguistic diversity must. However, they only go part way in their analogy and reject natural selection for languages. They also show that linguistic diversity corresponds to environmental diversity, but state this has nothing to do with the inexcessiblity of the areas. The violin-playing and loaded words are hard to stomach if you are looking for good social science. I would not suggest the book unless you are an ecological activist wanting to try to link your cause with "saving cultures" or with yet another critique of the West.

Poor Attempt.......2002-12-03

I think this book is very repetitive and is a very poor attempt at showing why losing all of these languages is important. They are comparing losing these languages to animals and plants going extinct. They try and draw all of these worthless comparissions that do not make any sense. This book is not even worth being picked up.

Important but repetetive message.......2001-09-27

There is little for me to add to the other fine reader reviews of this work except to say that I found it very repetitive. I am not sure that it could not have been a long article in the Atlantic or Harper's.
I am not at all sure that there is much that can be done to preserve some of these minor languages in the long run but I do find it admirable that the authors have taken up the cudgel.

Vanishing Voices: the extinction of the world's languages. (Bibliographia). (book review): An article from: Verbatim

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Vanishing Voices: the extinction of the world's languages. (Bibliographia). (book review): An article from: Verbatim
Steve Kleinedler
Manufacturer: VERBATIM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Verbatim, published by VERBATIM on January 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1458 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Vanishing Voices: the extinction of the world's languages. (Bibliographia). (book review)
Author: Steve Kleinedler
Publication: Verbatim (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2002
Publisher: VERBATIM
Volume: 27 Issue: 1 Page: 27(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages,

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Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages,
Daniel and Suzanne Romaine, NETTLE
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKDJOK

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Leadership Competency

Excellent Book

Leading the Learning Organization: Communication and Competencies for Managing Change (Suny Series, Human Communication Processes)
Alan T. Belasen
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 079144368X

Book Description

"Leading the Learning Organization" provides students, executives, and managers with vital resources to lead their organizations to higher levels of performance. Using examples from companies such as General Electric, IBM, Kodak, and ABB, "Leading the Learning Organization" integrates the latest advances in strategic change, managerial leadership, continuous improvement, and learning and development. Belasen provides insightful and provocative views of how high-performance leaders use organizational learning to achieve breakthrough performance. He strongly argues that managers who avoid questioning their operating premises today will find themselves without market share tomorrow. "Leading the Learning Organization" is an insightful examination of a variety of modern corporate issues, including adjusting to the marketplace; linking the value chain; living with corporate downsizing; leading self-managed teams; communicating, learning, and developing competencies; managing the value-based organization; and initiating transformational learning.

Customer Reviews:

Leadership Competency.......2007-10-05

Leading the Learning Organization is one of the first books I read as a graduate student and has remained a staple in my MBA library. As a high performance manager it is essential to understand the competing values framework (CVF). Belasen explores the contradictory, competing and conflicting expectations inherent in business and guides the reader to assess and then to integrate a flexible strategy into our own management paradigms.

As a leader dedicated to excellent service to the consumer, I agree with Belasen that the replacement of the old command structure with development of a committment culture is critical to sustainable 21st century leadership.

Excellent Book.......2000-01-02

I was impressed with the author's complete gasp of this difficult topic. This book is a must for any manager or would be manager. One of the finest books in the field and well worth the money.

Book Description

This new book provides a unified, in-depth, readable introduction to the multipredictor regression methods most widely used in biostatistics: linear models for continuous outcomes, logistic models for binary outcomes, the Cox model for right-censored survival times, repeated-measures models for longitudinal and hierarchical outcomes, and generalized linear models for counts and other outcomes.

Treating these topics together takes advantage of all they have in common. The authors point out the many-shared elements in the methods they present for selecting, estimating, checking, and interpreting each of these models. They also show that these regression methods deal with confounding, mediation, and interaction of causal effects in essentially the same way.

The examples, analyzed using Stata, are drawn from the biomedical context but generalize to other areas of application. While a first course in statistics is assumed, a chapter reviewing basic statistical methods is included. Some advanced topics are covered but the presentation remains intuitive. A brief introduction to regression analysis of complex surveys and notes for further reading are provided. For many students and researchers learning to use these methods, this one book may be all they need to conduct and interpret multipredictor regression analyses.

The authors are on the faculty in the Division of Biostatistics, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, and are authors or co-authors of more than 200 methodological as well as applied papers in the biological and biomedical sciences. The senior author, Charles E. McCulloch, is head of the Division and author of Generalized Linear Mixed Models (2003), Generalized, Linear, and Mixed Models (2000), and Variance Components (1992).

From the reviews:

"This book provides a unified introduction to the regression methods listed in the title...The methods are well illustrated by data drawn from medical studies...A real strength of this book is the careful discussion of issues common to all of the multipredictor methods covered." Journal of Biopharmaceutical Statistics, 2005

"This book is not just for biostatisticians. It is, in fact, a very good, and relatively nonmathematical, overview of multipredictor regression models. Although the examples are biologically oriented, they are generally easy to understand and follow...I heartily recommend the book" Technometrics, February 2006

"Overall, the text provides an overview of regression methods that is particularly strong in its breadth of coverage and emphasis on insight in place of mathematical detail. As intended, this well-unified approach should appeal to students who learn conceptually and verbally." Journal of the American Statistical Association, March 2006

Customer Reviews:

very good book, compact but comprehensive.......2007-05-12

This book covers a wide range of topics in Biostatistics, in a comprehensive, but not overwhelming way. In my opinion this book has the potential of being useful to a broad audience, from Statisticians to other professionals who do health related research.

Excellent book ..........2007-01-09

A very specific book, with a lot of details for a statistitian

Applied Mixed Models in Medicine (Statistics in Practice)

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exccellent book, wish the price is cheaper

Applied Mixed Models in Medicine (Statistics in Practice)
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Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0470023562

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A mixed model allows the incorporation of both fixed and random variables within a statistical analysis. This enables efficient inferences and more information to be gained from the data. The application of mixed models is an increasingly popular way of analysing medical data, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. There have been many recent advances in mixed modelling, particularly regarding the software and applications. This new edition of a groundbreaking text discusses the latest developments, from updated SAS techniques to the increasingly wide range of applications.

Presents an overview of the theory and applications of mixed models in medical research, including the latest developments and new sections on bioequivalence, cluster randomised trials and missing data.
Easily accessible to practitioners in any area where mixed models are used, including medical statisticians and economists.
Includes numerous examples using real data from medical and health research, and epidemiology, illustrated with SAS code and output.
Features new version of SAS, including the procedure PROC GLIMMIX and an introduction to other available software.
Supported by a website featuring computer code, data sets, and further material, available at: http://www.chs.med.ed.ac.uk/phs/mixed/.

This much-anticipated second edition is ideal for applied statisticians working in medical research and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as teachers and students of statistics courses in mixed models. The text will also be of great value to a broad range of scientists, particularly those working the medical and pharmaceutical areas.

Customer Reviews:

exccellent book, wish the price is cheaper.......2004-04-22

One of my collegues recommended this book to me. It surprised me that it has a very broader coverage of topics in medicine where mixed model is appropriate. This book talked many pratical issues such as "why the mixed model failed to converge" etc. The mathematical background is not demanding.

Another advantage of this book is that there are so many examples in the book.

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APPLIED MIXED MODELS IN MEDICINE
HELEN BROWN
Manufacturer: JOHN WILEY AND SONS LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5GYDE

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Clinical studies indicate that genetic factors play a crucial role in primary osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In addition, it has been suggested that these two diseases are inversely related. Within a population, one can find two sub-groups: the ''bone formers'' and the ''bone losers''. The changes to the joint surfaces used to assess adult age at death are related to the loss of bone substance and to bone formation (osteophytes). The modification of these indicators with age differs between bone formers and bone losers. Therefore, age-at-death assessment methods should make use of two standards, one for each sub-group. A preliminary study examining the possibility of distinguishing those who lose cortical bone from those who show signs of bony formation was conducted on a series of skeletons from Portugal, dating to the end of 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Bone loss was evaluated using the cortical index (CI) of the second metacarpal on X-rays. The presence of osteophytes on dry bones was assessed macroscopically. Our study indicates that females' CI decreases with age, whereas the presence of osteophytes is strongly related to age in both sexes. But we have failed to find the inverse relationship between osteophytes and bone loss. Our study, however, shows that within a population, some individuals are not likely to develop osteophytes.

Know your body composition?(Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine)(Bod Pod method): An article from: Medical Update

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Know your body composition?(Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine)(Bod Pod method): An article from: Medical Update
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Manufacturer: Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000825WGW
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Medical Update, published by Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc. on May 1, 2003. The length of the article is 720 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Know your body composition?(Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine)(Bod Pod method)
Author: Keith March
Publication: Medical Update (Newsletter)
Date: May 1, 2003
Publisher: Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc.
Volume: 28 Issue: 11 Page: 7(1)

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Skeletochronology of the limb elements of mosasaurs (Squamata; Mosasauridae).: An article from: Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science

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Skeletochronology of the limb elements of mosasaurs (Squamata; Mosasauridae).: An article from: Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science
Rodrigo Pellegrini
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2007. The length of the article is 6641 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Skeletochronology of the limb elements of mosasaurs (Squamata; Mosasauridae).
Author: Rodrigo Pellegrini
Publication: Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 110 Issue: 1-2 Page: 83(17)

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Handbook of Histology Methods for Bone and Cartilage (None)

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Handbook of Histology Methods for Bone and Cartilage (None)
Yuehuei H., Ed. An
Manufacturer: Humana Press
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0896039609

Book Description

The first comprehensive collection of all the major methods for studying the histology and histomorphometry of bone and cartilage. The detailed methods include techniques for bone labeling, bone sectioning, histological analysis, histomorphometric analysis, radiological examination, and contact radiography. Among the applications presented are in situ hybridization of bone and cartilage, radiological examination of calcified tissue with emphasis on bone, and dealing with histology artifacts in hard tissue research. More practical than theoretical, the text is simple and straightforward, with many tables, line drawings, and micro and macro photographs to illustrate the content. Full bibliographies at the end of each chapter guide the reader to additional detailed information.

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Methods in Bone Biology
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ASIN: 0412757702

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Methods in Bone Biology is unique in being devoted to describing the methodology used by bone researchers. This book describes in detail the techniques of cell and organ culture used in the study of bone and bone cell function and the techniques used to monitor the skeleton and skeletal remodelling both in clinical and experimental settings.

Book Description

We all watched in anticipation as Peyton Manning went after the record he didn't set out to break. 2004 proved to be a record-breaking season that saw Manning break the single season touchdown pass record held by Dan Marino of the 1984 Miami Dolphins. Many thought that this, along with many of Marino's other records, would never be broken. Manning proved them wrong.

Peyton Manning's 2004 goal is to win the Super Bowl, not to break Marino's record, but his proficient passing and superb receiving core has allowed him to surpass the record prior to the final game of the regular season. It's a record that Manning hasn't wanted to talk about, and one he says he's not focused on. Either way, it has been a joy for Colts fans across the globe to watch him in action.

This book recaps the 2004 season, with its focus on the touchdown passes Peyton Manning threw during the season. Each game has a dedicated chapter with a drive-by-drive recap and summary of Manning's passing accomplishments for the game. Box scores are also included for each game.

Peyton Manning: Passing the Record is a must have for all Colts fans, as well as any NFL Football fan. Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks the league has ever seen, and the 2004 season will go down in history as one of his crowning achievements!

Customer Reviews:

Great Summary of a Great Season.......2005-04-05

2004 was a season with a great deal of memories for Colt fans, and this little book is a fitting tribute to their season. It's a detailed account of the Colts season. Each game is described in detail with a couple of pages of summary and two or three pages of statistics. This is combined with a section of beautifully printed color photographs of Manning in action along with other information on Manning and the season.

The focus of the book is, of course, on breaking the Dan Marino record of 1984, a record that was expected to never be broken. This book recaps each of the touchdown passes thrown during the season.

Must have for any football fan........2005-02-20

This book is great for any Colts and/or football fan. I loved reading all about this year's season. It not only focuses on Peyton Manning but the entire Colts' season. There are some great charts in it that compare Peyton's season with Dan Marino's 1984 season. Loved the picture insert! I will keep this one for years to come!

Peyton Manning.......2005-02-19

Very interesting book, I enjoyed the play by play, game by game summary.

Great book for football and non-football fans.......2005-02-18

I was given the book by a friend and can say it is great for anyone (not just football fans). It has a good mix of text and stats to help everyone understand what really happened during the season. This is a type of book that you can pick up in five years and further realize that Peyton Manning had a great season as well as how he has impacted his community on and off the field.

Could be a collector's item one day too!

Great stats book.......2005-02-17

This book is a great 2004-2005 season play-by-play review of the best quarterback the NFL has known. It is complete with game stats and summaries for every game of the regular season and the playoffs.

Customer Reviews:

teacher researchers.......2005-07-29

This was a required book for a graduate course I'm taking. It helps you understand the purpose of research, and how to do your own research for various purposes. The book is very easy to read, and I like the way the book delivers the information.

Living the Questions: A Guide for Teacher Researchers.......2005-07-08

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Add instant interest to any graphic project with bold, immediately usable fonts, including Rocky Horror, Snowcone, Ubaldo, Roughneck, Old Cafe, Clotilde, Humboldt, Marker Magic, and dozens more. All typefaces include uppercase alphabets; many contain punctuation marks, lowercase letters, and numerals.

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