Product Description

How did language evolve? How old is language? How do we all know how to speak so effortlessly? Why is structural grammatical language specifically human? In his illuminating book, Steven Pinker attacks these fundamental questions with intense curiosity, energetic wit and clarity. He discusses every facet of human language and uncovers its deepest mysteries. Language, to Pinker, is an instinct, and he cuts through the jargon of the science of linguistics to show us how and why. Complemented by Lalla Ward's superb and eloquent reading, this is an audio book about the power of communication and will enlighten all those curious to understand this human power. 'Dazzling ... Words can hardly do justice to the superlative range and liveliness of Pinker's investigations' Robert Winder, the Independent 'Pinker debunks with panache, cuts through the confusion of jargon, and tells a mean anecdote. He does for language what David Attenborough does for animals' John Gribbin, the Sunday Times

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1678 in Books
• Published on: 1995-03-30
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Synopsis
This book looks at one of the most fundamental of our species' distinguishing characteristics: the use of language. The author argues that our language abilities are part of our genetic inheritance, not a cultural artefact, bringing together Darwinian natural selection and Chomsky's linguistics. The author debunks many of the standard facts - the dozens of Eskimo words for snow, the belief that we think using language, that English is a logic-defying tongue - and shows that language is a basic human instinct.

About the Author
Steven Pinker studied Experimental Psychology at McGill University, Montreal, and Harvard University. He has taught at Harvard, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is currently Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at MIT and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received research prizes from the National Academy of Sciences and the American Psychological Association. Lalla Ward trained as an actress and appeared most notably as Dr Who's (Tom Baker's) assistant and Ophelia to Derek Jacobi's Hamlet. She is married to Richard Dawkins, the driving force behind the Talking Science series, and travels round the world with him in a lecturing 'double act'. TBC

Customer Reviews

Cool . . . . but wrong
I first read this book ten years ago when I started teaching English in various parts of the world. I thought it a wonder. We are hard-wired for grammar; it must be true. My students in Europe, Asia and the Middle-East begged to differ.

Now I'm studying for an MA in Linguistics and I beg to differ too.

Still, I think you should read this book; it's a fine piece of propaganda. Then read Jean Aitchison's 'The Articulate Mammal'; Reith lecturer, Oxford prof and so forth. Not so cool . . . but right.

The Bookselling Instinct
Begin with a title that asserts the conclusion.

Start the book by aligning the author with Chomsky in postulating an innate, universal grammar capacity. The language instinct is indeed already a done deal.

Be guided carefully through selected cases that either seem to confirm the existence of a language instinct or selected cases to discount arguments to the contary.

So do you think we have a language instinct? If so, you are ready for the next sell, the reasoning instinct. And the list of 40 or so other innate capabilities that we all may have.

And we might find the very genes that make this possible. These instincts and genes fortunately don't seem to enslave us (as being conditionable would). They make us free and creative beings. Sound like a great payoff, right?

See how how the mind creates language? By instinct. Not just any instinct, an instinct based on genes. It's all clear now, isn't it? Too deep? If not, you're ready for the actual conclusion: we all have the same mind. So, Pinker affirms, even if you can't understand a New Guinea tribesperson, you can feel comfortable as you listen to him/her that the universal grammar is at work.

We are free and we are all one. Now you don't have to go back to the ancient Greeks or earlier to get that warm message of unity.

Skinner and behaviorism get no creditin this book despite some promising steps by behaviorists with language, such as helping autistic children to speak. It seems hard to deny we have some great capacities and it seems hard to deny that we can be conditioned - being able to be conditioned seems one of our great capacities. Pinker says we are have the same mind, but in this book excludes behaviorist contribution, so I wonder what kind of sameness he has in "mind".

No one should accept this book as adequate. I expect from his credentials and his excellent writing that the author could do a lot better. A science needs to do a lot more than appeal to "instinct", "mind". "freedom" and "oneness". It certainly may seem good to acknowledge we are amazing beings: you may feel warm and cozy when you finish this book, but ask yourself how you can apply what was presented in this book. Move past feeling wonderful about the structure of language and consider how language functions - as B.F. Skinner did in "Verbal Behavior", a less accessible but more useful and scientific try at understanding what we are doing with language.

When we seem not to have many useful answers, it's dangerous to write as if it's all clear. Don't be lulled by Pinker. If you read this book, ask yourself honestly: "Do I understand now how the mind creates language? Can I even see whether the mind creates language?" But first be sure to thank your mother and father for helping you to say "Momma" and "Dada" meaningfully.

First Year Psychology
I picked this up for a piece of coursework on nature vs nurture in language development. It was perfect! I liked it so much that I bought my own copy and have read it since just because I wanted to find out more. Some sections are pretty heavy, but in general the book is pretty readable. Definately a little gem.