The First Word

The Search for the Origins of Language

Christine Kenneally

$40.95

Paperback

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English

27 May 2008

Language: history & general works; linguistics; Biology, life sciences

An accessible exploration of a burgeoning new field: the incredible evolution of language

The first popular book to recount the exciting, very recent developments in tracing the origins of language, The First Word is at the forefront of a controversial, compelling new field. Acclaimed science writer Christine Kenneally explains how a relatively small group of scientists that include Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker assembled the astounding narrative of how the fundamental process of evolution produced a linguistic ape-in other words, us. Infused with the wonder of discovery, this vital and engrossing book offers us all a better understanding of the story of humankind.

By: Christine Kenneally
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 213mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 340g
ISBN: 9780143113744
ISBN 10: 0143113747
Publication Date: 27 May 2008
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language

A clear and splendidly written account of a new field of research on a central question about the human species. Steven Pinker, author of The Blank Slate A crash course on imitation, gesture, abstract thought, and speech. . . . It is eminently worthy of attention. Psychology Today Scientists who study the origins of language are a passionate, fractious bunch, and you don t have to be an egghead to be tantalized by the questions that drive their research: how and when did we learn to speak, and to what extent is language a uniquely human attribute? What [Kenneally] describes is fascinating. The New York Times Book Review