Michael Gordin is Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Princeton University, where he specialises in the history of modern science. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and is a Guggenheim Fellow. His love of language cannot be matched: a veritable polyglot, he speaks Russian, German, French, English, Ido, Esperanto and Latin among others. He has published on the history of science, Russian history and the history of nuclear weapons.

Insightful, engaging and based on superb scholarship, lightly worn -- Mark Viney New Scientist Erudite and engaging Nature He has hit on a marvellous idea and executed it with panache and laconic humour. -- John Gallagher Guardian It is hard to imagine that anyone with even the slightest interest in science or language will fail to find this book a treat Prospect

Michael Gordin is Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Princeton University, where he specialises in the history of modern science. He was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and is a Guggenheim Fellow. His love of language cannot be matched: a veritable polyglot, he speaks Russian, German, French, English, Ido, Esperanto and Latin among others. He has published on the history of science, Russian history and the history of nuclear weapons.

Insightful, engaging and based on superb scholarship, lightly worn -- Mark Viney New Scientist Erudite and engaging Nature He has hit on a marvellous idea and executed it with panache and laconic humour. -- John Gallagher Guardian It is hard to imagine that anyone with even the slightest interest in science or language will fail to find this book a treat Prospect