The Language Instinct: How The Mind Creates LanguageHarper Collins, 2010 M12 14 - 576 pages "A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." — New York Times Book Review The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published. |
From inside the book
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... HOW THE MIND CREATES LANGUAGE STEVEN PINKER AUTHOR OF THE STUFF OF THOUGHT HARPERPERENNIAL MODERNCLASSICS P.S. INSIGHTS , INTERVIEWS & MORE ... MORE PRAISE FOR The Language Instinct " Reading Steven Pinker's. Front Cover.
... thought such a substantive , critical discussion could possibly be .... Pinker's biol- ogy is impeccably up - to - date . Indeed , he displays a much more sophisti- cated and critical understanding of issues in evolution and adaptation ...
... thoughts : When a male octopus spots a female , his normally grayish body suddenly becomes striped . He swims above the female and begins caressing her with seven of his arms . If she allows this , he will quickly reach toward her and ...
... thought he was dead . She slams it in his face and then tries to escape . However , when Tad says , " I love you , " she lets him in . Tad comforts her , and they become passionate . When Brian interrupts , Dixie tells a stunned Tad ...
... thought , with different languages causing their speakers to construe reality in different ways . They know that children learn to talk from role models and caregivers . They know that grammatical sophistication used to be nurtured in ...
Contents
1 | |
12 | |
44 | |
How Language Works | 74 |
Words Words Words | 119 |
The Sounds of Silence | 153 |
Talking Heads | 190 |
The Tower of Babel | 231 |
Language Organs and Grammar Genes | 302 |
The Big Bang | 340 |
The Language Mavens | 382 |
Mind Design | 419 |
Notes | 449 |
References | 469 |
Glossary | 503 |
Index | 517 |