Author:Michael Bright,Chloe Sarosh
You don't know home until you leave it.
With over 200 spectacular images, including astonishing satellite images and stills from the BBC Natural History Unit’s footage, Earth from Space reveals our planet as you’ve never seen it before.
For decades we competed to be the first to reach space, but it was when we looked back at Earth that we were truly awestruck. Now, for the first time, using advanced satellite images we can show the earth’s surface, its mega structures, weather patterns and natural wonders in breathtaking detail.
From the colours and patterns that make up our planet to the mass migrations and seismic changes that shape it, Earth from Space sheds new light on the planet we call home. It reveals the intimate stories behind the breathtaking images, following herds of elephants crossing the plains of Africa and turtles travelling on ocean currents that are invisible unless seen from space. The true colours of our blue planet are revealed, from the striped tulip fields of Holland to the green swirl of a plankton super bloom that attracts a marine feeding frenzy. Whether it's the world’s largest beaver dam – so remote it was only discovered through satellite imagery – or newly formed islands born from volcanic eruptions, discover a new perspective on our ever-changing planet.
Because Internet…illustrates how many of us feel about English in the online age… It is hard not to be moved by her McCulloch is an engaging writer who clearly adores her subject
—— Sunday TimesCovers the backstory of how tildes became the punctuation mark for ~whimsy and sarcasm~...and when we started repeating certainnnnn lettersssssssss for emphasis
—— BuzzfeedA fascinating analysis
—— ObserverMcCulloch offers a compelling snapshot of a world in flux, from which readers will learn a lot about language, the internet and themselves
—— Financial TimesIn prose at once scholarly and user-friendly, McCulloch unpacks the evolution of language in the digital age, providing a comprehensive survey of everything from the secret language of emojis to the appeal of animal memes.
—— EsquireMcCulloch is such a disarming writer - lucid, friendly, unequivocally excited about her subject
—— New York TimesRather than obsessing about what the internet is doing to language, [Because Internet] largely focuses on what can be learned about language from the internet. . . . McCulloch's book is about the birth of a new medium.
—— EconomistMcCulloch’s book is a good start in guiding readers to consider the wild language of the internet as a thing of wonder—a valuable feature, not a bug.
—— Wall Street JournalAn effervescent study of how the digital world is transfiguring English
—— The New YorkerA compelling narrative rich with examples from her own online activities, a healthy dose of humor, and plenty of cat memes… the breadth of topics covered—from conversation analysis to meme culture to the development of texting as we now know it—makes this book useful, engaging, and enjoyable.
—— ScienceSometimes it seems like the internet is a seething brew of ugliness and misery. So it's nice to remember that, as well as the lawless drudgery, there are complex human systems that, intentional or not, create something totally new. Internet linguist (damn!) Gretchen McCulloch explores the ever-changing language of online.
—— Elle, 30 Best Books to Read this SummerA well-researched retort to grumpy grammarians who think technology is turning kids into lazy, inarticulate drivelers.
—— TimeBecause Internet is the most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the way informal internet language has evolved and is evolving. Its historical perspective will illuminate every generation of internet users: oldies will get a clear picture of what young people are up to; younglings will discover the origins of their latest linguistic fashions. Gretchen McCulloch writes with great common sense, an eye for the apt illustration, an appealing sense of humour, and a real concern for explanation. She doesn't just describe language trends: she investigates why they've taken place, and it's her insightful interpretations that give this book its special appeal.
—— David CrystalMcCulloch lays out the ways in which online lingo, from emojis to GIFs to acronyms like 'lol' and 'omg,' has become a vital part of modern communication. It's also an analog window into how the evolution of digital communication mirrors the shifts in word usage that have happened over generations.” —
—— Wired, Must-Read Books of SummerPart Linguistics 101, part social history of the internet, Because Internet revels in digital language deconstruction, exploring not just the evolving language of online informal…More importantly, she doesn’t just appreciate internet language, she celebrates it.
—— The RingerGretchen McCulloch's Because Internet is not your English teacher's grammar guide—not even close. Self-described internet linguist McCulloch traces how the web has changed the way we communicate—whether through emoji, lowercase letters. or cat memes—and makes a compelling, entertaining argument that this change is good for the English language as a whole.
—— Real SimpleGretchen McCulloch is the internet’s favorite linguist, and this book is essential reading. Reading her work is like suddenly being able to see the matrix. She explains the hows and the whys of the ways we talk online with the deepest empathy, understanding, and compassion.
—— Jonny SunWe know lols, emojis and hashtags are altering our discourse. Linguist McCulloch counts—and revels in—the ways. Give it to your favorite stickler.
—— PeopleBecause Internet sheds light on so many things…about how people use text to communicate
—— Randall Munroe , New ScientistMcCulloch’s subject is an under-explored one, and Because Internet demonstrates that it is one of interest to a wide readership… she shows, in a delightfully accessible way, how internet language can offer valuable insights for linguistic research
—— Anna Hollingsworth , Times Literary SupplementHow to Love Animals is compassionate, funny and utterly readable. What's more, Mance does something of enormous value: he surprises himself and the reader, too... In marrying this openness with his clarity of vision, Mance offers a new window on the climate emergency - one of the most pressing issues of our time.
—— Clea Skopeliti , iIntensely researched and carefully woven... varied and fascinating, and at times even funny. Mance...has a lively style; if the subject matter is heavy, his prose slips down effortlessly... I was gripped and provoked.
—— Emma Beddington , SpectatorChallenging, but also funny and refreshingly low in sanctimony, this book is no frothing polemic. It will doubtless alter many readers' understanding of the systems we all participate in and lead them to make different choices. For others, it should prompt the difficult moral reasoning that those of us who love animals but also profit from their suffering cravenly manage to avoid... Mance is an amiable guide: curious and open-minded.
—— Melissa Harrison , Financial TimesMance...is spot on to make us confront the horrible truth... [How to Love Animals] will force its readers to stop and think about the incomprehensible scale of unnecessary suffering we impose on our fellow creatures.
—— Julian Baggini , Literary Review