The Kingdom of Speech

'A great journalist with a whip-like satirical prose style… Wolfe’s great gift is to make the heavy seem light and this book is such an entertaining polemic that I read it in a day and immediately wanted to read it again.'
— Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times

Tom Wolfe, whose legend began in journalism, takes us on an eye-opening journey through language in The Kingdom of Speech. This work presents a paradigm-shifting argument: that speech, not evolution, is the driving force behind humanity's complex societies and achievements.

Key Highlights:

• Wolfe delves into the story of Alfred Russel Wallace, the Englishman who:
  • Beat Darwin to the theory of natural selection.
  • Later renounced it, challenging established scientific norms.
• He explores the controversial findings of modern-day anthropologist Daniel Everett, who:
  • Defies the widely accepted belief that language is hard-wired in humans.
• With characteristic wit and sharp analysis, Wolfe examines:
  • The zig-zags of Darwinism, both old and Neo.
  • The solemn and laugh-out-loud moments that reveal its irrelevance in the realm of speech.

This book is an entertaining and thought-provoking polemic that will leave readers questioning long-held assumptions about language and evolution.