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Interviews | November 19, 2009

Dave: IMG Finding John Irving: The Powells.com Interview

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johnirving[Editor's note: The following is a reprint of our 2005 interview with John Irving, whose new novel, Last Night in Twisted River, has just come out... Continue »
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The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (Perennial Classics)

by Steven Pinker

The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (Perennial Classics) Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In this classic study, the world's leading expert on language and the mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about languages: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it envolved. With wit, erudition, and deft use it everyday examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web spinning in spiders or sonar bats.

The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America.

Review:

"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." New York Times Book Review

Review:

"An excellent book full of wit and wisdom and sound judgment." Boston Globe Book Review

Review:

"An exciting book, certain to produce argument." Atlantic Monthly

Review:

"Somebody finally got it right. Pinker's thoroughly modern, totally engaging book introduces lay readers to the science of language in ways that are irreverent and hilarious while coherent and factually sound." Leila Gleitman, University of Pennsylvania, President, Linguistic Society of America

Synopsis:

This classic study of the development of the human language explains how language works, how it is learned, how it has evolved, and argues that language is a biological function.
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About the Author

Steven Pinker is one of the world's leading experts on language and the mind. He has won several major awards for his teaching and his scientific research. Pinker is director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Elizabeth Mays, January 1, 2007 (view all comments by Elizabeth Mays)
This book gives a look into the field of linguistics that anyone will enjoy. One doesn't need to be working or studying in the field in order to enjoy it. It was a very satisfying read.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780060958336
Subtitle:
How the Mind Creates Language
Author:
Pinker, Steven
Publisher:
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Location:
New York
Subject:
Grammar
Subject:
Neuropsychology
Subject:
Linguistics
Subject:
Psycholinguistics
Subject:
Language and languages
Subject:
Instinct
Subject:
Biolinguistics.
Edition Description:
1st Perennial Classics ed.
Series:
Perennial Classics
Series Volume:
v. 4
Publication Date:
20001101
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
544
Dimensions:
8.02x5.40x1.35 in. 1.00 lbs.
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