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Product Description
Independent
`Immensely readable and stimulating. Pinker is a master at making complex ideas palatable'
Daily Mail
`Awesome ... Pinker writes lucidly and elegantly, and leavens the text with scores of perfectly judged anecdotes, jokes, cartoons and illustrations'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 51 people found the following review helpful
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.
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.
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
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.
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.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
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
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 9 months ago by John M. Ford
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 9 months ago by RR Waller
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 19 months ago by Deacon
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 23 months ago by Luc REYNAERT
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
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
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
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
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
Pointless
I can hardly believe that the same person who wrote "The Language Instinct" and "The Blank Slate" wrote this. Read more
Published on 11 Nov 2007 by Arthur Koch
Listmania!
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