The eighth-century scholar Sibawayhi was the first linguistic scholar of Arabic, a language which many view as one of the marvels of civilization. Michael G. Carter discusses his origins and background, the relationship that Sibawayhi had with his teachers, the intellectual context of his grammatical ideas, and how his general concept of language shaped his approach to Arabic. So thorough is Sibawayhi's impressive work - known simply as 'the Book' - that it remains the seminal authority on classical Arabic. This biography provides an accessibly written and non-technical introduction to the whole subject of Arabic linguistics and to the life and times of the man who systematized the language.