Globish

The word "globish" refers to the spread of English around the world as an evolving language of business and pop culture. Before listeners learn about how English has been transformed in contemporary China, India, and Singapore, among other places, McCrum provides a history lesson on the language itself. James Langton makes the lesson interesting, even doing believable voices for key figures such as Winston Churchill. Still, there are points when the book slows down, and it takes a long time for it to get to the contemporary era, when the word "globish" was coined. While the history is important, some listeners may be disappointed by the lack of focus on the central topic, the spread of English since the Cold War. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine