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The Stuff of Thought

Language as a Window Into Human Nature /
Dec 08, 2007Ichérō rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A fitting conclusion to not one but TWO separate trilogies by Pinker. The first is his language trilogy (The Language Instinct and Words and Rules) and the second his human nature trilogy (How the Mind Works and The Blank Slate). In this tome, Pinker uses language and word use as a way to reverse engineer aspects of human nature and cognitive function. Why do we swear? How fundamental is metaphor to our cognitive functioning? Why do we employ indirect locutions in interpersonal communication, especially in bribes, requests, and come-ons? What are the cognitive building blocks of thought and do they conform to the structure of reality? Why are there so many Steves in the boomer generation? What do words and their syntactic constraints tell us about about our own constraints in conceptualizing? A must read for word-mavens and others who delight in the function and form of language, and for anyone interested in human nature and the stuff of thought.