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The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature (Penguin Press Science) [Paperback]

Steven Pinker (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 5 Jun 2008 | ISBN-10: 0141015470 | ISBN-13: 978-0141015477 | Edition: 1st Edition Thus

In The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature, Steven Pinker looks at how the relationship between words and thoughts can help us understand who we are.

Why do so many swear words involve topics like sex, bodily functions or the divine? Why do some children's names thrive while others fall out of favour? Why do we threaten and bribe and seduce in such elaborate, often comical ways? How can a choice of metaphor damn a politician or start a war? And why do we rarely say what we actually mean?

Language, as Steven Pinker shows, is at the heart of our lives, and through the way we use it - whether to inform, persuade, entertain or manipulate - we can glimpse the very essence of what makes us human.

'Awesome'
  Daily Mail

'Highly entertaining ... funny and thought-provoking'
  The Times

'Anyone interested in language should read The Stuff of Thought ... moments of genuine revelation and some very good jokes'
  Mark Haddon, Sunday Telegraph Books of the Year

'No one writes about language as clearly as Steven Pinker, and this is his best book yet'
  David Crystal, Financial Times

Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Until 2003, he taught in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He conducts research on language and cognition, writes for publications such as The New York Times, Time and Slate, and is the author of six books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate.

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The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature (Penguin Press Science) + The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind (Penguin Science) + How the Mind Works (Penguin Press Science)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; 1st Edition Thus edition (5 Jun 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0141015470
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141015477
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.2 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 15,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Astonishingly readable (Daily Telegraph )

Perceptive, amusing and intelligent (Times )

No one writes about language as clearly as Steven Pinker, and this is his best book yet (Financial Times )

Immensely readable and stimulating. Pinker is a master at making complex ideas palatable (Independent )

Awesome ... Pinker writes lucidly and elegantly, and leavens the text with scores of perfectly judged anecdotes, jokes, cartoons and illustrations (Daily Mail )

About the Author

Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Until 2003, he taught in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He conducts research on language and cognition, writes for publications such as the 'New York Times', 'Time' and 'Slate', and is the author of six books, including 'The Language Instinct', 'How the Mind Works' and 'The Blank Slate'.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 57 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating 23 July 2008
By ds VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
In all honesty, this is the first of Steven Pinker's books that I've read, coming to him roundabout through Noam Chomsky and a couple of other sources. It is a great book though, it has to be admitted, not what you would call a holiday pulp read.

If you don't have a background in linguistics (I don't but have a keen interest) then some of the early chapters about speech parsing, which form the foundation for much to come are (by necessity) fairly technical, and might be slightly heavy going. That said, even these parts are written lucidly and attempt to make the material more accessible to a wider audience, largely with some success.

Inevitably, the most accessible parts of the book come when talking about naming (with a slight crossover with Leavitt and Dubner's excellent Freakonomics) and swearing. There's a nice little sidestep in this chapter when Pinker starts by appearing to be squeamish about introducing the words under discussion before finally laying them out in all their "glory". Another section I found interesting was his critique of some of the alternative theories of language acquisition currently in circulation, where he managed to present many of the competing ideas in as fair a way as I think he could, though it was made clear where his own standpoint was.

If you have an interest in linguistics or some of the psychology surrounding it, then I think this book is one you should have no reservations about purchasing.
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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful words 19 Jan 2008
By Peter Bracken
Format:Hardcover
Pinker has done it again; another book of mesmerising intelligence and very smart ideas. But be warned: this book is not easy to digest, notwithstanding the lucidity of the writing. But then it deserves to be read very closely indeed: there is so much punch and weight on almost every page.

Pinker has already destroyed the simplistic notion that human nature is a social phenomenon, demonstrating how much of our behaviour and psychology is a product of our genetic evolution, and therefore instinctive.

In this book, he shows how language has evolved to reflect the mental concepts we have developed to make sense of the world: that is to say, although the real world may exist 'out there', it is mediated through our senses and the brain's interpretation of the data that they send to it. The concepts relate to time and space, matter and causality - and these concepts have been woven into our language. Pinker shows how, and does so in his characteristically enthusiastic, witty fashion.

A fabulous read and an intellectual treat.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Theoretical discussion of language 1 Sep 2009
By Rolf Dobelli TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Steven Pinker's enthusiasm about language comes through everywhere in this book - which is a good thing, because the subject matter itself is dense and complex. This combination results in a curious reading experience: Pinker's lively style, many anecdotes and extreme lucidity pull you forward in the text, but the difficulty of the questions he raises could stump you for some time. He explores many linguistic theories in such depth that readers without a particular interest in the field may, frankly, get lost or find the book too abstract, despite Pinker's numerous attempts to ground his discussions in reality. Therefore, while this is a fine book, getAbstract recommends it primarily to patient readers who have a strong interest in language and philosophy. Bring along an open mind and a sense of humor, since Pinker explores language practices - such as obscenities and insults - that may provoke emotional responses.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought's Clothing
Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought

Steven Pinker in his Preface to this examination of language function warns the reader that `the early chapters occasionally dip into... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. D. James
4.0 out of 5 stars Beneath the Language
Stephen Pinker continues his career-long mission to teach the reading public about language. His focus is neither the mechanics of grammar nor the neurological structures that... Read more
Published 21 months ago by John M. Ford
4.0 out of 5 stars The Language Window - clear, opaque and translucent
Pinker is a very clear speaker and writer and his books on language and linguistics range from ideal for the non-linguistic student/reader to definitely for the specialist. Read more
Published 21 months ago by RR Waller
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and flawed
I was looking forward to reading this immensely - but was so disappointed I still haven't struggled past the first 300 pages. Read more
Published on 22 Oct 2010 by Deacon
1.0 out of 5 stars Illusion and reality
In this book, Steven Pinker sinks into the morass of linguistics (language games), which is the equivalent of cleaning one's spectacles, as one great philosopher said. Read more
Published on 1 July 2010 by Luc REYNAERT
5.0 out of 5 stars Theoretical discussion of language
Steven Pinker's enthusiasm about language comes through everywhere in this book - which is a good thing, because the subject matter itself is dense and complex. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2009 by Rolf Dobelli
5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff!
Steven Pinker was already one of my favourite authors before this book propelled him into another league. Read more
Published on 15 July 2009 by Ms. J. S. Rees
5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificently Mind-Enriching Tour-de-Force
This is a truly remarkable book. Pinker has a way of making a reader think simply about complex concepts, using a writing style that is entertaining and stimulating in itself, as... Read more
Published on 18 Jun 2009 by Clifford
4.0 out of 5 stars A whistle-stop tour of cognitive linguistics
Well, quite a whirlwind, this one. It took me over a year to read it (seriously) and I did this kind of stuff for my degree. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2008 by Mr Anonymous
2.0 out of 5 stars Pedantry for the seriously pedantic!
If you are a student of linguistics or a card-holding member of the English Pedantry Society, this is a must-have. Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2008 by David R. Beck
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