The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker
How the Mind Creates Language
The book explores the idea that humans are born with an innate capacity for language. It argues that the ability to learn language is a natural instinct, hard-wired into our brains by evolution. Drawing from research in various fields including linguistics, psychology, and anthropology, the book examines how children learn language, how languages develop and change over time, and how the mind constructs and understands language. The author challenges the notion that language is a cultural artifact and instead presents it as a biological adaptation that is essential for human survival and communication.
The 3063rd greatest book of all time
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- Published
- 1994
- Nationality
- American
- Length
- Moderate
- Pages
- 448-512
- Original Language
- English
- Avg User Rating
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(4.0)
- Alternate Titles
- - Het Taalinstinct
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 3 lists:
- 100 Great Narrative Nonfiction Books (The Electric Typewriter)
- A Science Canon (Ian McEwan) (The Guardian)
- NY Times Editors Choice 1990-1999 (NY Times)