Bye-Bye, I Love You - Book launch by Michael Erard
Erard, known for his deep dives into language and linguistics topics, integrates real-world anecdotes with cutting-edge research to examine where first words come from and why we pay attention to them and how last words represent a tension between cultural ideals and the physiological realities of dying. His work at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics has been instrumental in framing the book’s key themes, providing an empirical foundation for understanding how language acquisition and decline manifest across cultures and neurological conditions.
“Studying language at both ends of life gives us a window into human cognition and social connection,” says Erard. “The work being done at Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics has been critical to deepening our understanding of how and why these words matter.”
The book blends personal narratives with scientific inquiry, making it accessible to linguistics enthusiasts, cognitive scientists, and general readers alike. It challenges readers to reconsider the profound significance of the words we first and last speak, from baby babble to the final utterances of those at life’s end.
In their review, The Economist wrote, “A book ending with so much death may sound like a hard read. Instead, it is a beautiful and even strangely comforting one, with Mr Erard as a pensive, patient guide.”
Bye-Bye, I Love You is now available through MIT Press and major booksellers worldwide.
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