About the book
\"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book.\" — New York Times Book Review
The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind
In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of linguistics and cognitive science into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution.
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. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.
Pinker's revolutionary book challenges our most basic assumptions about what language is and where it comes from:
- Language Acquisition: Discover why every three-year-old is a grammatical genius who learns their native tongue not through teaching, but through a powerful instinct.
- The Rules of Language: An accessible explanation of how grammar works, revealing the elegant, tree-like structures that allow us to generate infinite sentences from a finite set of words.
- Language and the Brain: A tour of the cognitive science and neurolinguistics behind our abilities, exploring the brain regions that compute language and what happens when they go wrong.
- The Evolution of Language: A compelling argument for why language is not a cultural invention but a biological adaptation, a human instinct honed by natural selection over millennia.
Editions of Language Instinct
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780061336461
- EBook
- ISBN 9780062032522
Read an Excerpt
\"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book.\" — New York Times Book Review
The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind
In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of linguistics and cognitive science into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution.
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. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.
Pinker's revolutionary book challenges our most basic assumptions about what language is and where it comes from:
- Language Acquisition: Discover why every three-year-old is a grammatical genius who learns their native tongue not through teaching, but through a powerful instinct.
- The Rules of Language: An accessible explanation of how grammar works, revealing the elegant, tree-like structures that allow us to generate infinite sentences from a finite set of words.
- Language and the Brain: A tour of the cognitive science and neurolinguistics behind our abilities, exploring the brain regions that compute language and what happens when they go wrong.
- The Evolution of Language: A compelling argument for why language is not a cultural invention but a biological adaptation, a human instinct honed by natural selection over millennia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Language Instinct about?
\"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book.\" — New York Times Book Review
The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind
In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of linguistics and cognitive science into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution.
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. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.
Pinker's revolutionary book challenges our most basic assumptions about what language is and where it comes from:
- Language Acquisition: Discover why every three-year-old is a grammatical genius who learns their native tongue not through teaching, but through a powerful instinct.
- The Rules of Language: An accessible explanation of how grammar works, revealing the elegant, tree-like structures that allow us to generate infinite sentences from a finite set of words.
- Language and the Brain: A tour of the cognitive science and neurolinguistics behind our abilities, exploring the brain regions that compute language and what happens when they go wrong.
- The Evolution of Language: A compelling argument for why language is not a cultural invention but a biological adaptation, a human instinct honed by natural selection over millennia.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Language Instinct?
Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary subjects > Interdisciplinary studies > Communication studies
Where can I read a sample of Language Instinct?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780061336461
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Language Instinct?
Steven Pinker
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Language Instinct is available as paperback(ISBN 9780061336461) and ebook(ISBN 9780062032522)
Where can I buy Language Instinct online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Language Instinct from below
Where can I buy Language Instinct?