Lev Parikian was born. After a tediously lengthy period of growing, he became an adult. He spends a lot of time standing in front of people waving his arms in the hope that sounds will material-ise. He also spends a lot of time staring at a computer screen in the hope that words will materialise. The production of this book is therefore a triumph of hope over experience. He lives in London with his [redacted], [redacted], and three domesticated (and, rest assured, entirely neutralised) [redacted]. He has never been to Uzbekistan.