"Crystal presents a compelling arguement in favor of texting as a force for, and signifier of, linguistic ability." --The Times, London

"A work that needed to be written, it's wholly persuasive in its arguments and it makes the blusterers look a bit silly." --New York Post

"...wise, engagingly written, informative book." --Daily Mail

In this humorous, level-headed and insightful book, David Crystal argues that the panic over texting is misplaced. Crystal, a world renowned linguist, looks at every aspect of text-messaging and considers its effects on literacy, language, and society. He explains how texting began, how it works, who uses it, and how much it is used, and he shows how to interpret the mixture of pictograms, logograms, abbreviations, symbols, and wordplay typically used in texting. He finds that the texting system of conveying sounds and concepts goes back a long way--to the very origins of writing. And far from hindering children's literacy, texting turns out to help it.