The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human NatureThis New York Times bestseller is an exciting and fearless investigation of language from the author of Rationality, The Better Angels of Our Nature and The Sense of Style and Enlightenment Now. "Curious, inventive, fearless, naughty." --The New York Times Book Review Bestselling author Steven Pinker possesses that rare combination of scientific aptitude and verbal eloquence that enables him to provide lucid explanations of deep and powerful ideas. His previous books - including the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Blank Slate - have catapulted him into the limelight as one of today's most important popular science writers. In The Stuff of Thought, Pinker presents a fascinating look at how our words explain our nature. Considering scientific questions with examples from everyday life, The Stuff of Thought is a brilliantly crafted and highly readable work that will appeal to fans of everything from The Selfish Gene and Blink to Eats, Shoots & Leaves. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - joshuabliesath - LibraryThingNot nearly as good as the Blank Slate or How the Mind Works. If you are very interested in linguistics and what it reveals about how we think, then have a try at this one. I'm about half way through and some chapters are slow, but the content is very deep and original. Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - jimocracy - LibraryThingThis book really made me think about thought and about human language. I especially enjoyed the chapter on profanity. Admittedly, some parts of the book were dry for my tastes but in a lot of places, the author made some very good analyses and seemed to show some real insight. Read full review
Contents
FIFTY THOUSAND INNATE CONCEPTS AND OTHER RADICAL | |
CLEAVING THE | |
THE METAPHOR METAPHOR | |
WHATS IN A NAME? | |
THE SEVEN WORDS YOU CANT SAY ON TELEVISION | |
Other editions - View all
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature Steven Pinker No preview available - 2008 |
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window Into Human Nature Steven Pinker No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
abstract action allows American apply asked aspect body brain called Cambridge causal cause chapter cognitive comes concepts construction count course culture definition direct distinction effect emotional English entity event example experience explain express face fact feel force frame fuck give happens head human ideas it’s keep kind knowledge language linguistic logic look Mass matter meaning mental metaphor mind motion moving nature never nouns object original person physical Pinker politeness possible present problem psychology reason refer relations relationship rule semantics sense sentence sexual shape similar single social someone sometimes sound space spatial speakers speech substance taboo tense theory things thought true turn understanding University Press verbs words York
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature |
| Author | Steven Pinker |
| Publisher | Penguin, 2007 |
| ISBN | 1101202602, 9781101202609 |
| Length | 512 pages |
| Subjects | › Psychology / Personality Psychology / Social Psychology Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |