It is time for the story of the evolution of language to be rewritten. Michael Corballis breaks tradition with the likes of Chomsky, Pinker, and Gould and shows how language was neither a great leap nor a merge of mental wires. Language, he argues, is a device for sharing our thoughts, and is not thought itself; thought evolved independently of language, and was not necessary for its later emergence. His story centers on the ability of mental time travel, that is to entertain thoughts that are not tied to the present, and ...
Read More
It is time for the story of the evolution of language to be rewritten. Michael Corballis breaks tradition with the likes of Chomsky, Pinker, and Gould and shows how language was neither a great leap nor a merge of mental wires. Language, he argues, is a device for sharing our thoughts, and is not thought itself; thought evolved independently of language, and was not necessary for its later emergence. His story centers on the ability of mental time travel, that is to entertain thoughts that are not tied to the present, and the theory of mind, or the ability to read other people s minds. Language in this framework becomes a way of sharing our thoughts, of communicating about aspects of the world, exquisitely shaped to communicate about the non-present; ideas, and stories, that are housed in our minds. This involved grammar, a set of conventions by which our thinking can be put into words, so that others can share them. The main attributes of grammatical language were shaped gradually from some 2.5 million years ago, during the Pleistocene. It did not, Corballis contends, emerge in a fortuitous big bang a mere 60,000 years ago. Corballis sees the evolution of language as one of the strongest test cases for Darwin s theory of evolution by natural selection. Language evolution has been referred to as the hardest problems in science, and Corballis here offers some meaningful paths to its solution. "
Read Less
Add this copy of The Truth About Language: What It is and Where It Came to cart. $2.62, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by University of Chicago Press.
Add this copy of The Truth About Language: What It is and Where It Came to cart. $2.68, fair condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by University of Chicago Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. HARDCOVER Acceptable-This is a significantly damaged book. It should be considered a reading copy only. Please order this book only if you are interested in the content and not the condition. May be ex-library. Standard-sized.
Add this copy of The Truth about Language: What It Is and Where It Came to cart. $16.10, good condition, Sold by Book Culture Inc. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from New York, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by University of Chicago Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. All pages and cover are intact. Possible minor highlighting and marginalia. Ships from an indie bookstore in NYC. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 288 p.
Add this copy of The Truth About Language Format: Hardcover to cart. $27.95, new condition, Sold by indoo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Avenel, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by University of Chicago Press.
Add this copy of The Truth about Language: What It Is and Where It Came to cart. $31.32, like new condition, Sold by GreatBookPrices rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Columbia, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2017 by University of Chicago Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 288 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
