John H. Fisher

" Language scholars have traditionally agreed that the development of the English language was largely unplanned. Fisher challenges this view, demonstrating that the standardization of writing and pronunciation was, and still is, made under the control of political and intellectual forces."

The Emergence of Standard English

They never told you this in law school. Out of a hundred new lawyers in prestigious, high-profile law firms: Two will have a long-term career at the firm, ninety-eight of you will (sooner or later) be shown the door. There's an overwhelming chance you will become another statistic and one day you'll be on your own with no law firm to provide security, a paycheck, or even a desk. If you don't know how to manage and grow a law firm, you will be lost in a sea of lawyers. You will be desperate for any clients you can get and have no idea how to manage a sta or hire a team of superstar employees. This book was written for you. Most books about law firm management and marketing are motivational with little practical advice. But when you have your own law practice and are just trying to survive, you don't need motivation--you need to know what to do ... right now. This book was written to fill that gap--the gap between theory and practice. The gap that law schools ignore, the gap that many lawyers ignore. Take small, baby steps to implement these principles, and with some time, consistent application, and a heavy dose of courage, you will be on the way to building the law firm of your dreams.

Say Goodbye to Your Boss, Say Hello to the Law Firm You've Always Dreamed Of

The Law Firm of Your Dreams

Mark Allen

Intended to make the works of Chaucer more accessible to readers, THE COMPLETE CANTERBURY TALES OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER bridges the gap between Chaucer's writing and modern English. Providing readers with comprehensive glosses and explanatory notes that are keyed to the text, and conveniently located at the bottom of the same page where material is being explained, THE COMPLETE CANTERBURY TALES OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER allows readers (regardless of their knowledge of Biblical, classical, and medieval backgrounds) to enjoy and comprehend the literary richness of Chaucer's works with little need to refer to external sources. Intended to make the works of Chaucer more accessible to readers, THE COMPLETE CANTERBURY TALES OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER bridges the gap between Chaucer's writing and modern English. Providing readers with comprehensive glosses and explanatory notes that are keyed to the text, and conveniently located at the bottom of the same page where material is being explained, THE COMPLETE CANTERBURY TALES OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER allows readers (regardless of their knowledge of Biblical, classical, and medieval backgrounds) to enjoy and comprehend the literary richness of Chaucer's works with little need to refer to external sources.

The Complete Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer

Language scholars have traditionally agreed that the development of the English language was largely unplanned. John H. Fisher challenges this view, demonstrating that the standardization of writing and pronunciation was, and still is, made under the control of political and intellectual forces. In these essays Fisher chronicles his gradual realization that Standard English was not a popular evolution at all but was the direct result of political decisions made by the Lancastrian administrations of Henry IV and Henry V. To achieve standardization and acceptance of the vernacular, these kings turned to their Chancery scribes, who were responsible for writing and copying legal and royal documents. Chaucer, a relative of the king, began to be labeled by the government as a master of the language, and it was Henry V who inspired the fifteenth-century tradition of citing Chaucer as the "maker" of English. An even more important link between language development and government practice is the fact that Chaucer himself composed in the English of the Chancery scribes. Fisher discusses the development of Chancery practices, royal involvement in promoting use of the vernacular, Chaucer's use of English, Caxton's use of Chancery Standard, and the nineteenth-century phenomenon of a standard, or "received," pronunciation of English. This engaging and clearly written work will change the way scholars understand the development of English and think about the intentional shaping of our language.

John H. Fisher

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