Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words⁠ (Erard 2025) - Weekend Book Review

Welcome to Revise and Resubmit, and this is Weekend Book Review.Imagine this: a child, barely able to stand, looks up at the world and speaks for the first time. A single word, maybe two. It’s a moment of magic, the kind that parents tuck away in their hearts forever. Now, shift the scene—an elderly man, surrounded by family, whispers his final words. A farewell, a blessing, or perhaps nothing at all. Just silence. Between these two moments, a lifetime unfolds.Michael Erard wants to understand these words—the first ones and the last ones. Why do we celebrate a baby’s first word but fear the last? What do our final words reveal about us? And why do some people, in their final moments, seem to return to the language of their childhood?In his new book, Bye Bye I Love You: The Story of Our First and Last Words, Erard, a linguist and journalist, unpacks these moments with a rare mix of scientific insight and human warmth. With a PhD in linguistics and decades spent writing about language, he’s the kind of author who makes you see words differently—how they shape our beginnings, how they shape our endings. And maybe, how they shape everything in between.The book takes us from the first babbles of infants to the last breath of the dying, weaving together anthropology, history, and personal stories. He explores how different cultures honor or ignore last words, how medicine complicates dying conversations, and even whether last words matter at all. Along the way, he uncovers surprising parallels between first and last words, asking if we might use what we know about beginnings to make better sense of the end.So here’s the question: If first words introduce us to the world, do last words define how we leave it?Michael Erard gives us plenty to think about, and we thank him for that. If you enjoyed this review, make sure to subscribe to Revise and Resubmit on Spotify, Amazon Prime Music, and Apple Podcasts. And don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, Weekend Researcher, for more deep dives into the books that make us think. Until next time, keep reading, keep questioning, and maybe—just maybe—start listening for the words that matter most.ReferenceErard, M. (2025). Bye Bye I Love You. The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/14418.001.0001Youtube channel link https://www.youtube.com/@weekendresearcherSupport us on Patreonhttps://patreon.com/weekendresearcher