As far as short introductions go, this is a competent piece. Although narrated well, many chapters struggle with the audio format, and definitely would be better suited in the written form. As an Oxford publication, it seems to be geared more towards Britains than the rest of the world. At times it’s grueling, and often feels uninspired, but has other chapters that are much better suited for an audio book, and more interesting. Still, it strikes a good balance and has challenging and informative discussions on how we think about language. Unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the positives, and I can’t recommend this book as a good starter to the endlessly fascinating world of the English language.