Product Review

Stephen Fry explores the highways and byways of the English language in these four programmes, as heard on BBC Radio 4. 'The Mouth': Why is the human food processor and word processor in the same unit? Stephen Fry takes you inside 'this hole we call cake' - the most important part of speech. 'Brevity': A celebration of the miniature in English. Tim Vine on the one liner, Kelvin MacKenzie on the beauty of headlines, the lost art of telegram writing and an English haiku. Good things come in small packages. 'Persuasion': Lawyers, advertisers, salespeople and market traders reflect on the way language can be used to change people's minds and behaviour. Is persuasive language capable of seduction? Peter Stringfellow has the answer. 'Class': Are we still 'bovvered' by the issue of class in the way we use language? Ian Macmillan takes a Yorkshire view of class and speech, and there's a word he still can't say.