The Stuff of Thought.EXCELLENT Language as a Window into Human Nature Eat your words. In The Stuff of Thought, Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker Steven Arthur Pinker (born September 18 1954) is a prominent Canadian-American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and popular science writer known for his spirited and wide-ranging advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind. continues the inquiries he posed about verbal communication in The Language Instinct (1994) and about human nature in the Pulitzer Prize Pulitzer Prize Any of a series of annual prizes awarded by Columbia University for outstanding public service and achievement in American journalism, letters, and music. Fellowships are also awarded. finalist The Blank Slate blank slate n. Something that has yet to be marked, determined, or developed: "Neurobiologists have been arguing for decades over whether embryonic neurons are blank slates or prefabricated units destined for a particular (GOOD Jan/Feb 2003). Here, he seeks to explain how language sheds light on our thoughts, emotions, desires, and relationships, and, in turn, influences our perceptions of reality, including space and time. Pinker draws from various fields--such as physics, evolutionary psychology evolutionary psychology n. The study of the psychological adaptations of humans to the changing physical and social environment, especially of changes in brain structure, cognitive mechanisms, and behavioral differences among individuals. , neurology, and anthropology--to show how words tell who we are. But if phrases like "content-locative" and "semantic reconstrual" reveal the mind of an esoteric author at work, Pinker illuminates complex concepts with examples from popular culture--which, hopefully, all our minds can all grasp. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Viking. 512 pages. $29.95. ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m : 0670063274 Financial Times [UK] EXCELLENT "All this sounds very theoretical, but the beauty of the book is the way these general notions are used to illuminate everyday points of usage. ... This is Steven Pinker at his best--theoretical insight combined with clear illustration and elegant research summary, presented throughout with an endearing wit and linguistic creativity which has become his hallmark." DAVI D CRYSTAL Irish Times [Dublin] EXCELLENT "Having previously written about the way in which the brain remembers and stores language, and how we arrive into the world with a certain amount of pre-programming, his latest book is interested in the meaning. As ever, it is a cracking read." SHANE HEGARTY Cleveland Plain Dealer EXCELLENT "In The Stuff of Thought, Pinker minimizes the scientific jargon as he moves nimbly through the logic of politeness, the significance of the names we give our babies and the uses of curses and obscenity. As in earlier books, How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate, Pinker makes the origins of human language and consciousness less puzzling and more accessible to the general reader." KEVIN P. KEATING Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Morning daily newspaper. Established in 1881, it was purchased and incorporated in 1884 by Harrison Gray Otis (1837–1917) under The Times-Mirror Co. (the hyphen was later dropped from the name). EXCELLENT "Pinker's conclusion is an optimistic view of how words and language-based mechanisms of thinking, although prone to error, grant us at least a glimpse of the true nature of the real world, rather than just the shadowy, subjective perception afforded the prisoners in Plato's famous cave. ... Although I can't completely accept its arguments, they are invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil engaging and provocative, and the
examples Pinker offers are filled with humor and fun." DOUGLAS
HOFSTADTER
NY Times Book Review EXCELLENT "The majesty of Pinker's theories is only one side of the story. The other side is the modesty of how he built them. It all makes sense, when you look at it the right way." WILIAM SALETAN Observer [UK] EXCELLENT "It's vague, inclusive and indeterminate, allowing anything and everything language-related to gain entry to the debate. ... You can't help but admire the breadth of Pinker's inquiry, but at the same time wonder at the point." ANDREW ANTHONY Oregonian EXCELLENT "In a way, Pinker's books are a more indirect, entertaining and wideranging counterpart to the linguistics of Noam Chomsky, the sociobiology sociobiology, controversial field that studies how natural selection, previously used only to explain the evolution of physical characteristics, shapes behavior in animals and humans. of E. O. Wilson Noun 1. E. O. Wilson - United States entomologist who has generalized from social insects to other animals including humans (born in 1929) Edward Osborne Wilson, Wilson , the defenses of Darwin by Stephen Jay Gould Noun 1. Stephen Jay Gould - United States paleontologist and popularizer of science (1941-2002) Gould , and the recent antireligious polemics po·lem·ics n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) 1. The art or practice of argumentation or controversy. 2. The practice of theological controversy to refute errors of doctrine. of Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett." DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. LOFTUS CRITICAL SUMMARY By examining our words, we can learn a lot about who we are. So argues Harvard academic and popular science writer Steven Pinker in The Stuff of Thought, a logical extension of his previous books. Pinker once again caters to a popular (though scientifically literate) audience, using accessible examples from jokes, Shakespeare, pop songs, and films to understand the science. One fascinating chapter explores the value of metaphors; another covers swearing (did you know that "gee whiz" is derived from "Jesus"?). A few critics tired of the myriad examples and pointed out a lack of unifying threads; others wanted more concrete answers; a couple challenged Pinker's entire thesis that language is an accurate guide to our mind. According to them, it is as if Pinker was determined to combine his broad-based, popular science acumen with his in-depth linguistics expertise--"the perfect storm" of his work. But if this book is not food for thought, then no other book of its kind is. |
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