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The Language Instinct

How the Mind Creates Language
By Steven Pinker
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker explores the fascinating idea that humans are born with an inherent ability to learn language. It delves into linguistic science, combining insights from psychology, biology, and cognitive science to argue that language is an innate instinct. Pinker examines the complexities of language acquisition and its role in human evolution.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the intersection of language and psychology. It explores how humans are wired for language acquisition, delving into the intricacies of linguistics and cognitive science. Ideal for those curious about how language shapes our understanding of the world.

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The Language Instinct

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

How do babies learn to speak? Why are there so many languages? Do we think in our mother tongue? Who decides what's correct English? How did language evolve?

In this landmark book, The Language Instinct, Steven Pinker explains the mysteries of language within a coherent theory—that language is an adaptation for communication.

'Dazzling... Pinker's big idea is that language is an instinct... as innate to us as flying is to geese... Words can hardly do justice to the superlative range and liveliness of Pinker's investigations' - Independent

'A marvellously readable book... illuminates every facet of human language—its biological origin, its uniqueness to humanity, its acquisition by children, its grammatical structure, the production and perception of speech, the pathology of language disorders and the unstoppable evolution of languages and dialects' - Nature

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker is highly acclaimed for its engaging prose and insightful exploration of how language is a fundamental aspect of the human mind. Reviewers commend Pinker for effectively combining scientific research with accessible storytelling, making complex ideas about linguistics both comprehensible and fascinating. Critics also appreciate his argument for language as an innate faculty, highlighting the book's influential contribution to discussions in both philosophy and psychology.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141980775

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 April 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 528

Collections

Education & Reference Non-Fiction Penguin Books Philosophy & Psychology Steven Pinker

About the Author

Steven Pinker is one of the world's most influential thinkers and writers on the human condition. His popular and highly praised books include The Better Angels of Our Nature, The Sense of Style, The Stuff of Thought, The Blank Slate, How the Mind Works, and The Language Instinct. The recipient of several major awards for his teaching, books, and scientific research, Pinker is Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He also writes frequently for The New York Times, the Guardian and other publications. He has been named Humanist of the Year, Prospect magazine's \"The World's Top 100 Public Intellectuals,\" Foreign Policy's \"100 Global Thinkers,\" and Time magazine's \"The 100 Most Influential People in the World Today.\"

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