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Biolinguistics Dr. Gabriel HONG WS 2008 / Fu Jen University Traditions of Biolinguistics Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) J. Herder (1744-1803) Prize winner of 1759 essay competition sponsorsed by German Science Academy Thomas Young (1773-1829) Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) March 26th, 1835 Darwin experienced on attack of the Benchuca, the great black bug of the pampas. It is now known that these insects carry a microorganism which is responsible for so-called Chagas disease. It seems likely, but not altogether certain, that Darwin was a victim of this disease. It seems quite probable that like many other Victorian intellectuals, both male and female, he was unusual susceptible to psychosomatic illness. One must recognize too that he had to bear the overwhelming strain of incubating an explosively controversial theory. The attack of the Benchuca may have been responsible, but one cannot rule out the possibility that Darwin’s ill-health was the result of unremitting anxiety. At the time he opened the first notebook in July 1937, Darwin was a convert to Lyell’s belief in uniform geological change. By the middle of 1837 he was convinced that life had “evolved” and that the emergence of new species was the result of “descent with modification”. By the end of 1837, Darwin had come to the conclusion that nature was an open-ended process of “becoming”. 1839 Darwin’s unconventional conclusion against traditional belief was fully formulated privately. In spite of the fact that the main outlines of this revolutionary theory were clearly established by 1839, nearly twenty years went by before the Origin of Species appeared in print. 1842 sketch out 35 pages of what he called “My Theory” 1 *1844 expand the sketch into a closely argued essay of 230 pages, and left instructions that it was to be published in the event of his unexpected death Reasons for Delay of publication: 1. Scientific caution 2. Fear of Controversy & Persecution 3. Darwin’s Religious Beliefs 18th June, 1858, Darwin received a letter from a young naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace, who had been working for many years in the Malay Archipelago. Wallace had written to ask Darwin’s advice about a scientific paper which outlined a theory suggesting that natural selection played an essential part in shaping the development of living species. Darwin was understuck and wrote to Lyell to say that he had been forestalled. On the 1st July, 1858, Darwin and Wallace published an article in the Journal of the Linnean Society. “On the Tendency of Species to Form Varieties; and On the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection”. 1859 On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (Preservation of Favioured Races in the Struggle for Life) 1868 The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication 1871 The Descent of Man 1872 Darwin, Charles (1872). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. London: J.Murray. 1875 Insectivorous Plants 1880 The Power of Movement in Plants August Schleicher (1821-1868) Adolf Kussmaul (1822-1902) Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Hugo Karl Liepmann (1863-1925) Karl von Frisch (1886-) 1967 A Biologist Remembered 1971 Bees: Their Vision, Chemical Senses, and Language Roman Jakobson (1896-1982) Konrad Lorenz (1903-) Imprinting 1952 King Solomon’s Ring 1966 On Aggresssion 2 Gregory Bateson (1904-1980) and Palo Alto Schools (1950s-60s) 1908 father William Bateson (England’s famous geneticist) coined the word “genetics” named after Gregor Mendel 1930 Master’s degree in anthropology at Cambridge University 1936 field work in New Guinea, met and later married anthropologist Margaret Mead 1950 Divorce, but work together as colleagues Norbert Wiener stimulated Bateson’s interest in Cybernetics 1951 (Ruesch & Bateson Communication: The Social Matrix of Psychiatry develop a universal epistemology for communication of all living beings investigate communication among dolphins develop concepts: metacommunication, paradox, double bind patron saint of family therapy movement 1972 Steps to an Ecology of Mind Bateson did not himself use the concept of biosemiotics but his whole scientific project dealt with communication between animals, people and machines. And his conception of evolution and thought as two related mind-processes fits nicely into the biosemiotic set of ideas. Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907-) 1951 The Study of Instinct 1953 The Herring Gull’s World 1958 Curious Naturalist how animals across species behave to adapt to environment in evolution Thomas A. Sebeok (1920-2001) Eric H. Lenneberg (1921-1975) Juri M. Lotman (28.2.1922 - 28.10.1993) Jane Goodall (1934-) Philip Lieberman (1984) David Caplan (1947-) Derek Bickerton (1981, 1990) Steven Pinker (1994) Stanislaw Puppel (1995) Robin Dunbar (1996) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (1922-1996-) 3 Lyle Jenkins (2000, 2004) Biological Foundations of Language Theoretical Frameworks Microlinguistics vs. Macrolinguistics Linguistics vs. Semiotics Unorganic vs. Organic Linguistics Language Structures and Biological Structures Language and Cognition Anatomy vs. Physiology Symbiotic Nature of Human and Language Peripheral Organs for Language Perception Neurological Substratum Peripheral Organs for Language Production Methodology in Biolinguistics Phylogenetic Language Evolution Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Darwinism Homology Evolution of Species and Origin of Language physical vs. mental evolution mind complexity and mind reading monogenesis of human species reconstruction of genetic tree by mitochondrian DNA studies Cann, Stoneking & Wilson 1987 genetic tree and linguistic tree gene frequencies Cavalli-Sforza et al. 1988 agricultural disffusion and distribution of Piazza & Cavalli-Sforza 1991 4 language tree speech motor & motor development Animal Communications varieties of animal communications teaching language to ape Essence of Language and Humanity language as mental tool From Biolinguistics to Biosemiotics Biolinguistics :: Biosemiotics = Linguistics :: Semiotics Anthroposemiotics vs. Biosemiotics vs. Cosmosemiotics and Semiosphere Exosemiotics vs. Endosemiotics Ontogenetic Language Development Human Genome Project (HGP) Oct.1990-1999-2005 80000-100000 human genome Ch´ang Lan-Yang, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica Language Acquisition Critical Period and Neural Plasticity Language Processing Formation of New Language under special condition pidgin & creole professional jargon Language Behavior in Aging Microgenetic Language Processing Speech Perception and Language Comprehension Speech Perception Reading Language Comprehension Speech and Language Production Neurolinguistic Programming Speech Production Writing 5 Organic Speech and Language Impairment Organic vs. Functional Disorders Audiology Language Pathology Speech Pathology Textbooks 2006 Toward an Evolutionary Biology of Language (Hardcover) by Philip Lieberman Editorial Reviews Book Description In this forcefully argued book, the leading evolutionary theorist of language draws on evidence from evolutionary biology, genetics, physical anthropology, anatomy, and neuroscience, to provide a framework for studying the evolution of human language and cognition. Philip Lieberman argues forcibly that the widely influential theories of language's development, advanced by Chomskian linguists and cognitive scientists, especially those that postulate a single dedicated language "module," "organ," or "instinct," are inconsistent with principles and findings of evolutionary biology and neuroscience. He argues that the human neural system in its totality is the basis for the human language ability, for it requires the coordination of neural circuits that regulate motor control with memory and higher cognitive functions. Pointing out that articulate speech is a remarkably efficient means of conveying information, Lieberman also highlights the adaptive significance of the human tongue. Fully human language involves the species-specific anatomy of speech, together with the neural capacity for thought and movement. In Lieberman's iconoclastic Darwinian view, the human language ability is the confluence of a succession of separate evolutionary developments, jury-rigged by natural selection to work together for an evolutionarily unique ability. From the Back Cover Evolution is opportunistic and has a "historic" logic of its own making. Existing structures and systems are adapted to serve new ends, often maintaining their original functions as well. Once a new behavior is in place, natural selection may then modify a structure to enhance that aspect of life; but some, or all, of the demands of the starting point may persist. …the brain mechanisms that yield human syntax ability also have evolutionary antecedents outside the domain of language. The subcortical basal ganglia 6 structures of the human brain that are critical elements of the neural systems that allow us to comprehend the meaning or to form a sentence also continue to support neural circuits that regulate motor control as well as aspects of cognition, mood, and much else. The evolutionary record of the changes that yielded human language is evident in the morphology and physiology of the brain and body; disputes concerning the evolution of language follow from different readings of the text. Uncertainty arises because the text has become obscured; the species who possessed intermediate stage of language are extinct…. Nonetheless, the situation is not hopeless…the present anatomy and physiology of the human brain and body reveal its evolutionary history, which, in turn, provides insights on the nature of the biologic bases of human cognition, language, and other aspects of human behavior. --from Chapter 1 About the Author Philip Lieberman is Fred M. Seed Professor of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Brown University. 2000 Jenkins, Lyle. 2000. Biolinguistics : Exploring the Biology of Language. Cambridge Univ Pr. Contents; Preface; Acknowledgements; Dedication; Introduction; 1. The unification problem; 2. Knowledge and use of language; 3. Aquisition (growth) of language; 4. Mechanisms of language; 5. Evolution of language; 6. Conclusion; References, Index. 1967 Biological Foundations of Language (Hardcover) by Eric H. Lenneberg References 2006 The Unfolding of Language : An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention (Paperback) by Guy Deutscher Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Using language himself in a lively and engaging way, Deutscher, an expert in Semitic languages at the University of Leiden in Holland, identifies two principles—the desire to create order out of chaotic reality, and the urge to vary the sounds of words and their meanings—providing the direction by which language developed and continues to develop. Rather than search for the prehistoric moment when speech originated, Deutscher says we can most profitably understand the phenomenon by taking the present as the 7 key to the past. Using a wide array of examples, he delves into the back-formation of words (making a noun into a verb), the evolution of relative clauses from simple pointing words (that, this) and the turning of objects into nouns. On the question of whether language is innate, Deutscher takes a middle path, asserting that our brains are wired for basic language, but that linguistic complexity is brought about by cultural evolution. Deutscher's entertaining writing and his knack for telling a good tale about how words develop offer a delightful and charming story of language. (June 1) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From Booklist The linguistic chain that connects the boasts of an ancient Sumerian monarch to the jests of Groucho Marx is long and convoluted, but Deutscher retraces it, fascinating link by fascinating link, identifying the dynamic processes that have continuously transformed and renewed the world's diverse languages. Even when delving deeply into ancient manuscripts and temple engravings, Deutscher interprets every linguistic mutation as the consequence of evolutionary forces still observable in today's living languages. Readers see in linguistic fossils from Mesopotamia traces of the same conversion of living metaphor into conceptual lattice still taking place in modern English, German, and Indonesian. What Deutscher demonstrates most clearly is how linguistic structures that look like the product of deliberate artifice can emerge from entirely natural processes. Predictably, when he probes the linguistic developments before the advent of writing, the author must frequently substitute his own speculations for solid evidence. Entailing just enough technical detail to tempt readers into professional sources (listed at the book's conclusion), this introduction to fundamental linguistic principles opens to nonspecialists a rich theoretical vista. Bryce Christensen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. Review 8 “A lively and thought-provoking exploration of why language change appears to be haphazard yet is fundamentally orderly. Exciting, witty, and a masterpiece of contemporary scholarship.” —Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and English, Stanford University “At last, an entertaining and readable book that presents the most current views on language and its evolution.” —Joan Bybee, Professor of Linguistics, University of New Mexico “Thoroughly enjoyable... Guy Deutscher is an erudite and entertaining guide through the paradoxes and complexities of language evolution.” —Gene Gragg, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, University of Chicago Book Description Blending the spirit of Eats, Shoots & Leaves with the science of The Language Instinct, an original inquiry into the development of that most essential-and mysterious-of human creations: Language Language is mankind's greatest invention-except, of course, that it was never invented." So begins linguist Guy Deutscher's enthralling investigation into the genesis and evolution of language. If we started off with rudimentary utterances on the level of "man throw spear," how did we end up with sophisticated grammars, enormous vocabularies, and intricately nuanced degrees of meaning? Drawing on recent groundbreaking discoveries in modern linguistics, Deutscher exposes the elusive forces of creation at work in human communication, giving us fresh insight into how language emerges, evolves, and decays. He traces the evolution of linguistic complexity from an early "Me Tarzan" stage to such elaborate single-word constructions as the Turkish sehirlilestiremediklerimizdensiniz ("you are one of those whom we couldn't turn into a town dweller"). Arguing that destruction and creation in language are intimately entwined, Deutscher shows how these processes are continuously in operation, generating new words, new structures, and new meanings. As entertaining as it is erudite, The Unfolding of Language moves nimbly from ancient Babylonian to American idiom, from the central role of metaphor to the staggering triumph of design that is the Semitic verb, to tell the dramatic story and explain the genius behind a uniquely human faculty. About the Author Born in Israel in 1969, Guy Deutscher studied mathematics and earned a Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Cambridge, where he became a 9 research fellow in 1998. A widely acclaimed scholar of ancient Semitic languages, Deutscher is at the University of Leiden in Holland. 2006 The Singing Neanderthals : The Origins of Music, Language, Mind, and Body (Hardcover) by Steven Mithen Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Mithen (The Prehistory of Mind; After the Ice) draws on archaeological record and current research on neurology and genetics to explain how and why humans think, talk and make music the way they do. If it sounds impenetrably academic, it isn't: Mithen acts as a friendly guide to the troves of data on the evolution of man (and myriad sub-mysteries of the mind, music, speech and cognition), translating specialist material into an engrossing narrative casual readers will appreciate. Beginning with a survey of modern theories of the evolution of language, music and thought, Mithen cherry picks ones that lay the groundwork for the book's second (and most substantial) part, which applies those ideas to 4.5 million years of evolutionary history, beginning with the earliest known hominid, Ardipithecus ramidus, and ending with Homo sapiens. Mithen's work here is equally remarkable, but perhaps because this is his area of specialty, the findings are less accessible to the average reader: they hinge largely on subtle differences in the interpretation of archaeological sites and the dating of artifacts. However, Mithen's expertise in the science and history of his subject is combined with a passion for music that makes this book enjoyable and fascinating. Readers from most academic disciplines will find the work of interest, as will general readers comfortable with research-based argument and analysis. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Steven Mithen is Professor of Early Prehistory and Head of the School of Human and Environmental Sciences at the University of Reading. 2006 The Origin of Speeches: Intelligent Design in Language (Paperback) by Isaac E. Mozeson Editorial Reviews Dr. Alvin Schiff, Hon. President of the Educators Council of America 10 There is some scholarly support for...the thesis that all human languages are dervied from a single mother tongue. Dr. Joseph T. Shipley, Author of The Dictionary of Word Origins A challenge to linguists...calls for a reexamination of our etymologies. Dr. Tzvee Hahavy, Classical and Near Eastern Studies, Univ. of Minnesota This is a work of immense scholarship that should be taken seriously. Book Description The Origin of Speeches begins by recapping the history of our views about the source of language. It then debunks the errors that infuse your dictionary, like those about how words in "unrelated" languages could only have identical sound and sense by "coincidence." It does so with both quality and quantity of data. The next chapters give anyone the skills to sleuth out the Edenic origin of any human word. One learns about letters that shift in sound and location, and letters that drop in and drop out. We discover how Edenics works much like other natural sciences, such as chemistry and physics. Like-sounding opposite words were certainly programmed, not pragmatically evolved. 2005 The Talking Ape : How Language Evolved (Studies in the Evolution of Language) (Hardcover) by Robbins Burling Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 1, 2005) Editorial Reviews Book Description Humans never run out of things to say. We explain, we cajole, we gossip, and we flirt--all with the help of language. But how in the space of several million years did we evolve from an ordinary primate that that could not talk to the strange human primate that can't shut up? In this fascinating, thought-provoking book, Robbins Burling presents the most convincing account of the origins of language ever published, shedding new light on how speech affects the way we think, behave, and relate to each other, and offering us a deeper understanding of the nature of language itself. Burling argues that comprehension, rather than production, was the driving force behind the evolution of language--we could understand words before we could produce them. As he develops this insight, he investigates the first links between signs, sounds, and meanings and explores the beginnings of vocabulary and grammar. He explains what the earliest forms of communication are likely to have been, how they 11 worked, and why they were deployed, suggesting that when language began it was probably much more dependent on words like "poke" or "whoosh," words whose sounds have a close association with what they refer to. Only gradually did language develop the immense vocabulary it has today. Burling also examines the qualities of mind and brain needed to support the operations of language and the selective advantages they offered those able to use them. Written in a crystal-clear style, constantly enlivened by flashes of wit and humor, here is the definitive account on the birth of language. 2005 Empires of the Word : A Language History of the World (Hardcover) by Nicholas Ostler "From the language point of view, the present population of the world is not six billion, but something over six thousand..." (more) Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Ostler's ambitious and accessible book is not a technical linguistic study— i.e., it's not concerned with language structure—but about the "growth, development and collapse of language communities" and their cultures. Chairman of the Foundation of Endangered Languages, Ostler's as fascinated by extinction as he is by survival. He thus traces the fortunes of Sumerian, Akkadian and Aramaic in the flux of ancient Middle Eastern military empires. Ancient Egyptian's three millennia of stability compares with the longevity of similarly pictographic Chinese—and provides a cautionary example: even a populous, well-defined linguistic community can vanish. In all cases, Ostler stresses the role of culture, commerce and conquest in the rise and fall of languages, whether Spanish, Portuguese and French in the Americas or Dutch in Asia and Africa. The rise of English to global status, Ostler argues, owes much to the economic prestige of the Industrial Revolution, but its future as a lingua franca may falter on demographic trends, such as booming birth rates in China. This stimulating book is a history of the world as seen through the spread and demise of languages. Maps. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist *Starred Review* Caesar led his legions into battle for the glory of Rome-and the immortality of Greek. In the curious spread of Greek through Roman conquest, Ostler recounts one of the many fascinating episodes in 12 the complex history of languages. The resources of the cultural historian complement those of the comparative linguist in this capacious work, which sets the parameters for a new field of scholarship: "language dynamics." By peering over Ostler's shoulder into this new field, readers learn how languages ancient and modern (Sumerian and Egyptian; Spanish and English) spread and how they dwindle. The raw force of armies counts, of course, in determining language fortunes but for far less than the historically naive might suppose: military might failed to translate into lasting linguistic conquest for the Mongols, Turks, or Russians. Surprisingly, trade likewise proves weak in spreading a language--as the Phoenician and Dutch experiences both show. In contrast, immigration and fertility powerfully affect the fate of languages, as illustrated by the parallel histories of Egyptian and Chinese. Ostler explores the ways modern technologies of travel and communication shape language fortunes, but he also highlights the power of ancient faiths--Christian and Moslem, Buddhist and Hindu--to anchor language traditions against rapid change. Of particular interest will be Ostler's provocative conjectures about a future in which Mandarin or Arabic take the lead or in which English fractures into several tongues. Few books bring more intellectual excitement to the study of language. Bryce Christensen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved John McWhorter "Delicious! Ostler’s book shows how certain lucky languages joined humankind in its spread across the world." Literary Review "What an extraordinary odyssey the author of this superb work embarked upon." Kirkus Reviews "Enlightening . . . Always challenging, always instructive--at times, even startling or revolutionary." Boston magazine "Revolutionary... Executed with a giddying depth of scholarship, yet the detail is never too thick to swamp the general reader." John Leonard, Harper's Magazine "Covers more rambunctious territory than any other single volume I’m aware of...A wonderful ear for the project’s poetry." Boston magazine 13 "As this book splendidly and authoritatively reveals, the language history of the world shows eloquently the real character of peoples." Chicago Tribune "[A] monumental new book... Ostler furnishes many fresh insights, useful historical anecdotes and charming linguistic oddities." National Review "True scholarship. A marvelous book, learned and instructive." National Review "True scholarship. A marvelous book, learned and instructive." Los Angeles Times Book Review "A story of dramatic reversals and puzzling paradoxes. A rich... text with many piercing observations and startling comparisons." Book Description The story of the world in the last five thousand years is above all the story of its languages. Some shared language is what binds any community together and makes possible both the living of a common history and the telling of it. Yet the history of the world's great languages has been very little told. Empires of the Word, by the wide-ranging linguist Nicholas Ostler, is the first to bring together the tales in all their glorious variety: the amazing innovations in education, culture, and diplomacy devised by speakers of Sumerian and its successors in the Middle East, right up to the Arabic of the present day; the uncanny resilience of Chinese through twenty centuries of invasions; the charmed progress of Sanskrit from north India to Java and Japan; the engaging self-regard of Greek; the struggles that gave birth to the languages of modern Europe; and the global spread of English. Besides these epic ahievements, language failures are equally fascinating: Why did German get left behind? Why did Egyptian, which had survived foreign takeovers for three millennia, succumb to Mohammed's Arabic? Why is Dutch unknown in modern Indonesia, though the Netherlands had ruled the East Indies for as long as the British ruled India? As this book splendidly and authoritatively reveals, the language history of the world shows eloquently the real character of peoples; and, for all the recent tehnical mastery of English, nothing guarantees our language's long14 term preeminence. The language future, like the language past, will be full of surprises. About the Author A scholar with a working knowledge of twenty-six languages, Nicholas Ostler has degrees from Oxford University in Greek, Latin, philosophy, and economics, and a Ph.D. in linguistics from MIT, where he studied under Noam Chomsky. He lives in Bath, England. 2004 Variation and Universals in Biolinguistics (North Holland Linguistics Series) (North Holland Linguistics Series - Linguistic Variations) (Hardcover) by Lyle Jenkins "In this paper, I would like to focus on certain aspects of the antisymmetry hypothesis of Kayne (1994) and to a certain extent on their..." (more) Editorial Reviews Review Had Eric Lenneberg written his seminal book "Biological Foundations of Language" (1967) today, he most probably would have written something quite similar to the present volume....The volume offers a very fortunate selection of papers from the biolinguistic field, succeeding in blending general and easily accessible introductions to more biological or formal research areas that linguists and psychologists are less familiar with, such as the correlation between genetic and linguistic variation, or the state of the art in the study of human evolution, with in-depth analyses and detailed empirical reviews of controversial issues....A common underlying theme running through all the articles is the attempt to achieve a complex understanding of the key issues, with an eye towards an ultimate unification with the biological sciences. This genuinely multidisciplinary approach gives a unique appeal to the volume. Read the full review on the LinguistList: http://linguistlist.org/issues/16/162233.html Judit Gervain, Cognitive Neuroscience Sector, Scuola Internazionale di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy Book Description Jenkins has succeeded in putting together a terrific volume. Some of the most creative minds in the fields tackle questions of utmost importance in biolinguistics. The clarity with which these essays are written and the 15 insights expressed in them are sure to provide solid foundations for research in linguistics and related fields for years to come. A truly outstanding collection! Cedric Boeckx, Harvard University, USA This book provides a current and interdisciplinary overview of work on the biology of language - what is sometimes called the "biolinguistic approach." A wide range of areas are investigated and reviewed by specialists: the micro-parametric theory of syntax, models of language acquisition and historical change, dynamical systems in language, genetics of populations, pragmatics of discourse, language neurology, genetic disorders of language, sign language, and evolution of language. It focuses on the interplay between variation and the universal properties of language. Detailed surveys or case studies are provided from the areas of syntactic variation, genetic variation, neurological variation and historical variation, among others, and of the universal principles and theoretical models that underlie the variation. Finally, it considers - in addition to the detailed empirical studies philosophical, foundational and methodological issues in the study of the biology of language and its place within the natural sciences; e.g.,innateness, modularity, language design and unification in biolinguistics, as well as critiques of the approach. 2004 History of Language (Reaktion Books - Globalities) (Paperback) by Steven Roger Fischer Book Description It is tempting to take the tremendous rate of contemporary linguistic change for granted. What is required, in fact, is a radical reinterpretation of what language is. Steven Roger Fischer begins his book with an examination of the modes of communication used by dolphins, birds and primates as the first contexts in which the concept of "language" might be applied. As he charts the history of language from the times of Homo erectus, Neanderthal humans and Homo sapiens through to the nineteenth century, when the science of linguistics was developed, Fischer analyses the emergence of language as a science and its development as a written form. He considers the rise of pidgin, creole, jargon and slang, as well as the effects radio and 16 television, propaganda, advertising and the media are having on language today. Looking to the future, he shows how electronic media will continue to reshape and re-invent the ways in which we communicate."[a] delightful and unexpectedly accessible book ... a virtuoso tour of the linguistic world."—The Economist "... few who read this remarkable study will regard language in quite the same way again."—The Good Book Guide About the Author US-born Steven Roger Fischer is Director of the Institute of Polynesian Languages and Literatures in Auckland, New Zealand. 2003 The Power of Babel : A Natural History of Language (Paperback) by John McWhorter "Hebrew"" ""But why don' we speak Hebrew, Mom?""..." (more) Editorial Reviews From Library Journal Starting with the well-known model of relationships among languages as a family tree, McWhorter (linguistics, Berkeley) fleshes out and refines this model as he narrates development of language. He explores five main ways that languages change, such as sound change and the transformation of words into pieces of grammar. McWhorter further illuminates and compares concepts of dialect, pidgin, and Creole to demonstrate the changing nature of language. Through the discussion, he replaces the family-tree model of language relations with the more sophisticated images of a bush and a net. Numerous examples support each point, including cartoons illustrating German dialects. Indeed, the sheer weight of all the examples and detailed discussion could discourage an initially curious reader. While McWhorter reaches out to general readers by avoiding jargon and using an informal tone, brevity is needed to reach the maximum audience. Steven Fisher offers a narrative language history in History of Language (Reaktion, 1999), but while Fisher presents a slightly briefer account, it is also far more technical, with an emphasis on evolutionary theory. Not an essential purchase, McWhorter's work is recommended only for public libraries with large language collections. Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From Booklist This book is not for those uncomfortable with change. McWhorter's main goal is to convey to laypeople what linguists know about the inexorable 17 changeability of languages. He compares our popular understanding of language to Monopoly instructions--static and written as though "from on high." But whereas Parkers Brothers is not likely to revise the rules of its game, language is as transitory as a cloud formation. From this analogy, aided by parallels with natural evolution, McWhorter shows us how the world's many dialects arose from a single Ur-tongue. He emphasizes the idea that "dialect is all there is." What we call a "standard language" is in fact a dialect that has been anointed by people in power and by cultural circumstances. All this becomes a tad academic in places, but McWhorter's use of analogies, anecdotes, and popular culture keeps the discussion lively. A worthy contribution to our understanding of the defining feature of human life. Philip Herbst Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. Book Description There are approximately six thousand languages on Earth today, each a descendant of the tongue first spoken by Homo sapiens some 150,000 years ago. While laying out how languages mix and mutate over time, linguistics professor John McWhorter reminds us of the variety within the species that speaks them, and argues that, contrary to popular perception, language is not immutable and hidebound, but a living, dynamic entity that adapts itself to an ever-changing human environment. Full of humor and imaginative insight, The Power of Babel draws its illustrative examples from languages around the world, including pidgins, Creoles, and nonstandard dialects. From the Back Cover Praise for John McWhorter McWhorter's arguments are sharply reasoned, refreshingly honest, and thoroughly original, and befitting a book on language, they are lucidly and elegantly expressed. -- Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works McWhorter has done an admirable job of bridging the gap between the linguists' view of language and the public's. -- Philip Herbst, Booklist 18 Whatever one's opinion on particular cases, it is indisputable that Mr. McWhorter is a lively judge of the English language, and a sober judge of all disputes that swirl around it. Sanford Pinsker, The Wall Street Journal (from reviews of Word on the Street) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. About the Author John McWhorter, associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author of The Word on the Street. He lives in Oakland, California. 2003 The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music (Paperback) by Isabelle Peretz, Robert J. Zatorre 2003 Language Evolution (Studies in the Evolution of Language) (Paperback) by Morten H. Christiansen, Simon Kirby Book Description The leading scholars in the rapidly growing field of language evolution give readable accounts of their theories on the origins of language and reflect on the most important current issues and debates. As well as providing a guide to their own published research in this area they highlight what they see as the most relevant research of others. The authors come from a wide range of disciplines involved in language evolution including linguistics, cognitive science, computational science, primatology, and archaeology. 2003 From Hand to Mouth : The Origins of Language (Paperback) by Michael C. Corballis "I am beguiled by the frivolous thought that we are descended, not from apes, but from birds..." (more) Editorial Reviews Choice Corballis makes the case that the evolutionary origins of language are in gestures rather than in speech. . . . An engaging story. Review Dario Maestripieri American Scientist : From Hand to Mouth will raise awareness about the importance of gestures and the crucial role they play in communicative interactions. 19 Choice : Corballis makes the case that the evolutionary origins of language are in gestures rather than in speech. . . . An engaging story. Joseph B. Hellige Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : An engaging, highly readable and provocative account of the evolution of human language. . . . [It's] as entertaining as it is informative. Review Ian Tattersall, American Museum of Natural History, author of "Extinct Humans and The Fossil Trail" : A lively and well constructed read that bravely tackles head-on the tough question of where language came from. Corballis intriguingly concludes that this unique human property has gestural rather than vocal origins; and along the way he explores numerous fascinating byways that make this a must read for everyone interested in how humans became the extraordinary creatures they are. Sherman Wilcox, University of New Mexico, General Editor, "Evolution of Communication" : Michael Corballis has accomplished a Herculean task. Reviewing and synthesizing data from a range of disciplines, he has woven it all into a book that is at once enjoyable and easy to read and yet faithful to the complexity of the subject matter. While this is admittedly a provocative work, the author has marshaled considerable evidence in support of his thesis. Indeed, he has done all of us a great service by raising the level of discussion surrounding this controversial topic. This is no small accomplishment. Lewis Wolpert, University College London : A fascinating journey along the evolutionary path that 'converted us from wild gesticulators to smooth talkers.' On the path we pass our ape-like ancestors, the change to bipedalism, increase in brain size, gestures, the anatomical requirements for vocalization, and finally the spoken language. Review Corballis makes the case that the evolutionary origins of language are in gestures rather than in speech.. . . An engaging story. Book Description It is often said that speech is what distinguishes us from other animals. But are we all talk? What if language was bequeathed to us not by word of mouth, but as a hand-me-down? The notion that language evolved not from animal cries but from manual and facial gestures--that, for most of human history, actions have spoken louder than words--has been around since Condillac. But never before has anyone developed a full-fledged theory of how, why, and with what effects 20 language evolved from a gestural system to the spoken word. Marshaling far-flung evidence from anthropology, animal behavior, neurology, molecular biology, anatomy, linguistics, and evolutionary psychology, Michael Corballis makes the case that language developed, with the emergence of Homo sapiens, from primate gestures to a true signed language, complete with grammar and syntax and at best punctuated with grunts and other vocalizations. While vocal utterance played an increasingly important complementary role, autonomous speech did not appear until about 50,000 years ago--much later than generally believed. Bringing in significant new evidence to bolster what has been a minority view, Corballis goes beyond earlier supporters of a gestural theory by suggesting why speech eventually (but not completely!) supplanted gesture. He then uses this milestone to account for the artistic explosion and demographic triumph of the particular group of Homo sapiens from whom we are descended. And he asserts that speech, like written language, was a cultural invention and not a biological fait accompli. Writing with wit and eloquence, Corballis makes nimble reference to literature, mythology, natural history, sports, and contemporary politics as he explains in fascinating detail what we now know about such varied subjects as early hominid evolution, modern signed languages, and the causes of left-handedness. From Hand to Mouth will have scholars and laymen alike talking--and sometimes gesturing--for years to come. From the Inside Flap "A lively and well constructed read that bravely tackles head-on the tough question of where language came from. Corballis intriguingly concludes that this unique human property has gestural rather than vocal origins; and along the way he explores numerous fascinating byways that make this a must read for everyone interested in how humans became the extraordinary creatures they are."--Ian Tattersall, American Museum of Natural History, author of Extinct Humans and The Fossil Trail "Michael Corballis has accomplished a Herculean task. Reviewing and synthesizing data from a range of disciplines, he has woven it all into a book that is at once enjoyable and easy to read and yet faithful to the complexity of the subject matter. While this is admittedly a provocative work, the author has marshaled considerable evidence in support of his thesis. Indeed, he has done all of us a great service by raising the level of discussion 21 surrounding this controversial topic. This is no small accomplishment."-Sherman Wilcox, University of New Mexico, General Editor, Evolution of Communication "A fascinating journey along the evolutionary path that 'converted us from wild gesticulators to smooth talkers.' On the path we pass our ape-like ancestors, the change to bipedalism, increase in brain size, gestures, the anatomical requirements for vocalization, and finally the spoken language."-Lewis Wolpert, University College London --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From the Back Cover "A lively and well constructed read that bravely tackles head-on the tough question of where language came from. Corballis intriguingly concludes that this unique human property has gestural rather than vocal origins; and along the way he explores numerous fascinating byways that make this a must read for everyone interested in how humans became the extraordinary creatures they are."--Ian Tattersall, American Museum of Natural History, author of Extinct Humans and The Fossil Trail "Michael Corballis has accomplished a Herculean task. Reviewing and synthesizing data from a range of disciplines, he has woven it all into a book that is at once enjoyable and easy to read and yet faithful to the complexity of the subject matter. While this is admittedly a provocative work, the author has marshaled considerable evidence in support of his thesis. Indeed, he has done all of us a great service by raising the level of discussion surrounding this controversial topic. This is no small accomplishment."-Sherman Wilcox, University of New Mexico, General Editor, Evolution of Communication "A fascinating journey along the evolutionary path that 'converted us from wild gesticulators to smooth talkers.' On the path we pass our ape-like ancestors, the change to bipedalism, increase in brain size, gestures, the anatomical requirements for vocalization, and finally the spoken language."-Lewis Wolpert, University College London About the Author Michael C. Corballis is Professor of Psychology and a member of the Research Center for Cognitive Science at the University of Auckland. He is the author of three books, including "The Lopsided Ape", and coeditor of 22 "The Descent of Mind". His work has appeared in "Science","Nature", Scientific American", and "American Scientist". 2003 Foundations of Language : Brain, Meaning, Grammar, Evolution (Hardcover) by Ray Jackendoff "Those of us who make it our business to study language often find ourselves in the curious position of trying to persuade the world at..." (more) Editorial Reviews From Library Journal Jackendoff (linguistics, Brandeis Univ.) tackles the substantial tasks of assessing where Noam Chomsky's foundation of research has led linguistics and reinterpreting his theory of universal grammar. While embracing many of Chomsky's ideas, Jackendoff proposes his own overall theory of language. His well-documented discussion covers "combinatoriality" (or grammar rules) and language processing, as well as lexical and phrasal semantics. Jackendoff's inquiry draws on and complements research in neuroscience, psychology, and biological evolution. For example, he examines working and long-term memory in language production and, most important, discusses phonology, syntax, and semantics as parallel, equally productive, or generative aspects of language. Like Lyle Jenkins (Biolinguistics: Exploring the Biology of Language, Cambridge Univ., 2000), he emphasizes connections between language and biology. Lacking a glossary and a list of the numerous abbreviations, this work is scholarly in approach and hence less accessible than works like Trevor Harely's broad, updated The Psychology of Language: From Data to Theory (Psychology Pr., 2001. 2d ed.). It is nevertheless a significant piece of scholarship and is highly recommended for academic libraries. Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Book Description Already hailed as a masterpiece, Foundations of Language offers a brilliant overhaul of the last thirty-five years of research in generative linguistics and related fields. "Few books really deserve the clichi 'this should be read by every researcher in the field,'" writes Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct, "But Ray Jackendoff's Foundations of Language does." Foundations of Language offers a radically new understanding of how language, the brain, and perception intermesh. The book renews the promise of early generative linguistics: that language can be a valuable entree into understanding the human mind and brain. The approach is remarkably 23 interdisciplinary. Behind its innovations is Jackendoff's fundamental proposal that the creativity of language derives from multiple parallel generative systems linked by interface components. This shift in basic architecture makes possible a radical reconception of mental grammar and how it is learned. As a consequence, Jackendoff is able to reintegrate linguistics with philosophy of mind, cognitive and developmental psychology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and computational linguistics. Among the major topics treated are language processing, the relation of language to perception, the innateness of language, and the evolution of the language capacity, as well as more standard issues in linguistic theory such as the roles of syntax and the lexicon. In addition, Jackendoff offers a sophisticated theory of semantics that incorporates insights from philosophy of language, logic and formal semantics, lexical semantics of various stripes, cognitive grammar, psycholinguistic and neurolinguistic approaches, and the author's own conceptual semantics. Here then is the most fundamental contribution to linguistic theory in over three decades. 2002 The Transition to Language (Oxford Linguistics) (Paperback) by Alison Wray (Editor) "A book entitled The Transition to Language could give the impression that there was a single event at some point in prehistory before which there..." (more) Book Description Linguists, biological anthropologists, and cognitive scientists come together in this book to explore the origins and early evolution of phonology, syntax, and semantics. They consider the nature of pre- and proto-linguistic communication, the internal and external triggers that led to its transformation into language, and whether and how language may be considered to have evolved after its inception. Evidence is drawn from many domains, including computer simulations of language emergence, the songs of finches, problem-solving abilities in monkeys, sign language, and the structure of languages today. 2002 The Language Organ : Linguistics as Cognitive Physiology (Paperback) by Stephen R. Anderson, David W. Lightfoot "If you meet someone at a cocktail party and tell them you are carpenter, or a veterinarian, or an astronomer, they are likely to be..." (more) 2002 Human Language and Our Reptilian Brain : The Subcortical Bases of 24 Speech, Syntax, and Thought (Perspectives in Cognitive Neuroscience) (Paperback) by Philip Lieberman Book Description This book is an entry into the fierce current debate among psycholinguists, neuroscientists, and evolutionary theorists about the nature and origins of human language. A prominent neuroscientist here takes up the Darwinian case, using data seldom considered by psycholinguists and neurolinguists to argue that human language--though more sophisticated than all other forms of animal communication--is not a qualitatively different ability from all forms of animal communication, does not require a quantum evolutionary leap to explain it, and is not unified in a single "language instinct." Using clinical evidence from speech-impaired patients, functional neuroimaging, and evolutionary biology to make his case, Philip Lieberman contends that human language is not a single separate module but a functional neurological system made up of many separate abilities. Language remains as it began, Lieberman argues: a device for coping with the world. But in a blow to human narcissism, he makes the case that this most remarkable human ability is a by-product of our remote reptilian ancestors' abilities to dodge hazards, seize opportunities, and live to see another day. About the Author Philip Lieberman is Fred M. Seed Professor of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Brown University. 2002 Human Language and Our Reptilian Brain : The Subcortical Bases of Speech, Syntax, and Thought (Perspectives in Cognitive Neuroscience) (Paperback) by Philip Lieberman Editorial Reviews Book Description This book is an entry into the fierce current debate among psycholinguists, neuroscientists, and evolutionary theorists about the nature and origins of human language. A prominent neuroscientist here takes up the Darwinian case, using data seldom considered by psycholinguists and neurolinguists to argue that human language--though more sophisticated than all other forms of animal communication--is not a qualitatively different ability from all forms of animal communication, does not require a quantum evolutionary leap to explain it, and is not unified in a single "language instinct." 25 Using clinical evidence from speech-impaired patients, functional neuroimaging, and evolutionary biology to make his case, Philip Lieberman contends that human language is not a single separate module but a functional neurological system made up of many separate abilities. Language remains as it began, Lieberman argues: a device for coping with the world. But in a blow to human narcissism, he makes the case that this most remarkable human ability is a by-product of our remote reptilian ancestors' abilities to dodge hazards, seize opportunities, and live to see another day. About the Author Philip Lieberman is Fred M. Seed Professor of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Brown University. 2002 How the Brain Evolved Language (Paperback) by Donald Loritz "A baby wildebeest, born on the Serengeti, learns to walk and run in a matter of minutes..." (more) Book Description How can an infinite number of sentences be generated from one human mind? How did language evolve in apes? In this book Donald Loritz addresses these and other fundamental and vexing questions about language, cognition, and the human brain. He starts by tracing how evolution and natural adaptation selected certain features of the brain to perform communication functions, then shows how those features developed into designs for human language. The result -- what Loritz calls an adaptive grammar -- gives a unified explanation of language in the brain and contradicts directly (and controversially) the theory of innateness proposed by, among others, Chomsky and Pinker. 2001 The Origins of Music (Paperback) by Nils L. Wallin (Editor), Björn Merker (Editor), Steven Brown (Editor) Editorial Reviews Book Description What biological and cognitive forces have shaped humankind's musical behavior and the rich global repertoire of musical structures? What is music for, and why does every human culture have it? What are the universal features of music and musical behavior across cultures? In this groundbreaking book, musicologists, biologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, ethologists, and linguists 26 come together for the first time to examine these and related issues. The book can be viewed as representing the birth of evolutionary biomusicology--the study of which will contribute greatly to our understanding of the evolutionary precursors of human music, the evolution of the hominid vocal tract, localization of brain function, the structure of acoustic-communication signals, symbolic gesture, emotional manipulation through sound, self-expression, creativity, the human affinity for the spiritual, and the human attachment to music itself. Contributors: Simha Arom, Derek Bickerton, Steven Brown, Ellen Dissanayake, Dean Falk, David W. Frayer, Walter Freeman, Thomas Geissmann, Marc D. Hauser, Michel Imberty, Harry Jerison, Drago Kunej, François-Bernard Mâche, Peter Marler, Björn Merker, Geoffrey Miller, Jean Molino, Bruno Nettl, Chris Nicolay, Katharine Payne, Bruce Richman, Peter J. B. Slater, Peter Todd, Sandra Trehub, Ivan Turk, Maria Ujhelyi, Nils L. Wallin, Carol Whaling. About the Author Nils L. Wallin is Director of the Institute for Biomusicology at Mid Sweden University, Östersund. Björn Merker is Senior Fellow at the Institute for Biomusicology at Mid Sweden University, Östersund. Steven Brown is Fellow at the Institute for Biomusicology at Mid Sweden University, Östersund. 2001 Genes, Peoples, and Languages (Paperback) by Luigi Luca CavalliSforza Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Jared Diamond says, "It would be a slight exaggeration to say that L.L. Cavalli-Sforza studies everything about everybody, because actually he is 'only' interested in what genes, languages, archaeology, and culture can teach us about the history and migrations of everybody for the last several hundred thousand years." Cavalli-Sforza has been the leading architect of a revolution (even a paradigm shift) in human genetics since the 1960s. Because of his work, geneticists no longer think that the human species is divided into color-coded races. Cavalli-Sforza's studies of the transmission of family names in Italy, of the relationship between human genes and languages, of migration and marriage, are the benchmarks of our biological self-understanding. 27 Genes, Peoples, and Languages is less personal than Cavalli-Sforza's preceding book, The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution. And it is far more compact than the magisterial The History and Geography of Human Genes (available abridged for those who prefer not to buy books by the pound). Instead, it is a an excellent overview of CavalliSforza's many-faceted approach to human history and our present condition. It is that rarest of achievements, holistic without any trace of mushymindedness. --Mary Ellen Curtin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Publishers Weekly A geneticist well known for his pioneering DNA studies on variations between populations over the millennia, Stanford University professor emeritus Cavalli-Sforza presents numerous startling or controversial findings in this dryly written but provocative survey of human evolution. Modern humans most likely originated in Africa, and arrived in Europe only around 42,000 years ago, rapidly displacing the dominant Neanderthal hominid species, he believes. Perhaps 20,000 years before this displacement, waves of modern humans migrated from Africa to Asia, then on to Australia; Europe came next, while America was probably the last continent to be occupied by Homo sapiens sapiens, he concludes. By correlating global studies of genetic markers with archeological evidence and patterns of linguistic change, Cavalli-Sforza attempts to track the earliest mass migrations, the spread of agriculture outward from the Middle East, cultural and genetic exchanges between prehistoric peoples and the birth of IndoEuropean languages. Much of this is conjectural, but he is confident enough to state that, from a genetic standpoint, "it appears that Europeans are about two-thirds Asians and one-third African." Moreover, "Black Americans have... an average of 30 percent of White admixture" in their genes, he reports. From the vantage point of DNA, according to Cavalli-Sforza, the idea of separate races is unscientific and fallacious, as different ethnic groups display superficial variations in body surface, mere outward adaptations to different climates--an opinion shared by a growing number of molecular biologists. Illustrated with maps and diagrams, this study sheds light on the origins of Finns, Hungarians, Basques, Native Americans, Asian Indians and other diverse limbs of the human family tree. (May) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. 28 From Booklist Over a long scientific career, the author has championed the application of genetics to the discovery of Homo sapiens' origins. Allied with archaeology and linguistics, genetics backs up the theory of an African beginning about 150,000 years ago, an initial radiation to Asia, and thence to the ends of the earth. Cavalli-Sforza's views are here streamlined for jargon-free appeal. He summarizes the fundamental principles of evolution, then discusses several specific human genes that he argues trace migrations millennia ago, namely those controlling the A, B, and O blood types, that controlling the blood's RH factor, and mitochondrial DNA. Lest he be thought dogmatic about genetic tracers, Cavalli-Sforza repeatedly asks whether the genes of living people can really piece together human evolution and presents maps and statistics that convince him they can. He detects, too, a genetic concordance with linguistic evidence. Cavalli-Sforza, an emeritus with original views and an open mind, has shaped evolutionary theories, making this condensation of his corpus of work an important popular work on the subject. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. the New Scientist "A thoroughly readable account of some of the most fascinating ideas around." Book Description Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was among the first to ask whether the genes of modern populations contain a historical record of the human species. Cavalli-Sforza and others have answered this question--anticipated by Darwin--with a decisive yes. Genes, Peoples, and Languages comprises five lectures that serve as a summation of the author's work over several decades, the goal of which has been nothing less than tracking the past hundred thousand years of human evolution. Cavalli-Sforza raises questions that have serious political, social, and scientific import: When and where did we evolve? How have human societies spread across the continents? How have cultural innovations affected the growth and spread of populations? What is the connection between genes and languages? Always provocative and often astonishing, Cavalli-Sforza explains why there is no genetic basis for racial classification. Language Notes 29 Text: English (translation) Original Language: Italian, French About the Author Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was born in Genoa in 1922 and has taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Parma, and Pavia. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Genetics at Stanford University and is the author of The History and Geography of Human Genes. 2001 Genes, Peoples, and Languages (Paperback) by Luigi Luca CavalliSforza Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Jared Diamond says, "It would be a slight exaggeration to say that L.L. Cavalli-Sforza studies everything about everybody, because actually he is 'only' interested in what genes, languages, archaeology, and culture can teach us about the history and migrations of everybody for the last several hundred thousand years." Cavalli-Sforza has been the leading architect of a revolution (even a paradigm shift) in human genetics since the 1960s. Because of his work, geneticists no longer think that the human species is divided into color-coded races. Cavalli-Sforza's studies of the transmission of family names in Italy, of the relationship between human genes and languages, of migration and marriage, are the benchmarks of our biological self-understanding. Genes, Peoples, and Languages is less personal than Cavalli-Sforza's preceding book, The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution. And it is far more compact than the magisterial The History and Geography of Human Genes (available abridged for those who prefer not to buy books by the pound). Instead, it is a an excellent overview of CavalliSforza's many-faceted approach to human history and our present condition. It is that rarest of achievements, holistic without any trace of mushymindedness. --Mary Ellen Curtin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Publishers Weekly A geneticist well known for his pioneering DNA studies on variations between populations over the millennia, Stanford University professor emeritus Cavalli-Sforza presents numerous startling or controversial 30 findings in this dryly written but provocative survey of human evolution. Modern humans most likely originated in Africa, and arrived in Europe only around 42,000 years ago, rapidly displacing the dominant Neanderthal hominid species, he believes. Perhaps 20,000 years before this displacement, waves of modern humans migrated from Africa to Asia, then on to Australia; Europe came next, while America was probably the last continent to be occupied by Homo sapiens sapiens, he concludes. By correlating global studies of genetic markers with archeological evidence and patterns of linguistic change, Cavalli-Sforza attempts to track the earliest mass migrations, the spread of agriculture outward from the Middle East, cultural and genetic exchanges between prehistoric peoples and the birth of IndoEuropean languages. Much of this is conjectural, but he is confident enough to state that, from a genetic standpoint, "it appears that Europeans are about two-thirds Asians and one-third African." Moreover, "Black Americans have... an average of 30 percent of White admixture" in their genes, he reports. From the vantage point of DNA, according to Cavalli-Sforza, the idea of separate races is unscientific and fallacious, as different ethnic groups display superficial variations in body surface, mere outward adaptations to different climates--an opinion shared by a growing number of molecular biologists. Illustrated with maps and diagrams, this study sheds light on the origins of Finns, Hungarians, Basques, Native Americans, Asian Indians and other diverse limbs of the human family tree. (May) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist Over a long scientific career, the author has championed the application of genetics to the discovery of Homo sapiens' origins. Allied with archaeology and linguistics, genetics backs up the theory of an African beginning about 150,000 years ago, an initial radiation to Asia, and thence to the ends of the earth. Cavalli-Sforza's views are here streamlined for jargon-free appeal. He summarizes the fundamental principles of evolution, then discusses several specific human genes that he argues trace migrations millennia ago, namely those controlling the A, B, and O blood types, that controlling the blood's RH factor, and mitochondrial DNA. Lest he be thought dogmatic about genetic tracers, Cavalli-Sforza repeatedly asks whether the genes of living people can really piece together human evolution and presents maps and statistics that convince him they can. He detects, too, a genetic concordance with linguistic evidence. Cavalli-Sforza, an emeritus with original views 31 and an open mind, has shaped evolutionary theories, making this condensation of his corpus of work an important popular work on the subject. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. the New Scientist "A thoroughly readable account of some of the most fascinating ideas around." Book Description Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was among the first to ask whether the genes of modern populations contain a historical record of the human species. Cavalli-Sforza and others have answered this question--anticipated by Darwin--with a decisive yes. Genes, Peoples, and Languages comprises five lectures that serve as a summation of the author's work over several decades, the goal of which has been nothing less than tracking the past hundred thousand years of human evolution. Cavalli-Sforza raises questions that have serious political, social, and scientific import: When and where did we evolve? How have human societies spread across the continents? How have cultural innovations affected the growth and spread of populations? What is the connection between genes and languages? Always provocative and often astonishing, Cavalli-Sforza explains why there is no genetic basis for racial classification. Language Notes Text: English (translation) Original Language: Italian, French About the Author Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza was born in Genoa in 1922 and has taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Parma, and Pavia. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Genetics at Stanford University and is the author of The History and Geography of Human Genes. 2001 Biolinguistics : Exploring the Biology of Language (Paperback) by Lyle Jenkins "Chomsky has commented as follows on the futility of attempting "the study of everything": In this connection, it is perhaps worthwhile to recall some 32 further..." (more) Editorial Reviews Review 'Jenkin's book is useful for the range of topics it discusses, and for the historical dimension that it provides on biolinguistic exploration as seen from a Chomskyan viewpoint.' Andrew Carstairs-McCarthy, Diachronica Review "Jenkins's book is useful for the range of topics that it discusses, and for the historical dimension that it provide on biolinguistic exploration as seen from a Chomskyan viewpoint." Reviews Book Description This book investigates the nature of human language and its importance for the study of the mind. It asks what language is from a biological point of view and what the relative contribution of nature and nurture is when a child learns his or her language. Finally it asks how human language evolved and considers the similarities and differences between human language and animal communication systems. Uniquely, it argues that genetic or biological endowment plays a more central role in the aquisition of language than instruction, learning, or cultural determinants. Book Info Investigates the nature of human language and its importance for the study of the mind. Examines current work on the biology of language and reviews the evidence that language is best characterized by a generative grammar of the kind introduced by Noam Chomsky in the 1950s and developed in various directions since then. DLC: Biolinguistics. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. 2000 The Language Instinct : How the Mind Creates Language (Perennial Classics) (Paperback) by Steven Pinker "As you are reading these words, you are taking part in one of the wonders of the natural world..." (more) Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly A three-year-old toddler is "a grammatical genius"--master of most constructions, obeying adult rules of language. To Pinker, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology psycholinguist, the explanation for this miracle is that language is an instinct, an evolutionary adaptation that is partly "hard33 wired" into the brain and partly learned. In this exciting synthesis--an entertaining, totally accessible study that will regale language lovers and challenge professionals in many disciplines--Pinker builds a bridge between "innatists" like MIT linguist Noam Chomsky, who hold that infants are biologically programmed for language, and "social interactionists" who contend that they acquire it largely from the environment. If Pinker is right, the origins of language go much further back than 30,000 years ago (the date most commonly given in textbooks)--perhaps to Homo habilis , who lived 2.5 million years ago, or even eons earlier. Peppered with mindstretching language exercises, the narrative first unravels how babies learn to talk and how people make sense of speech. Professor and co-director of MIT's Center for Cognitive Science, Pinker demolishes linguistic determinism, which holds that differences among languages cause marked differences in the thoughts of their speakers. He then follows neurolinguists in their quest for language centers in the brain and for genes that might help build brain circuits controlling grammar and speech. Pinker also argues that claims for chimpanzees' acquisition of language (via symbols or American Sign Language) are vastly exaggerated and rest on skimpy data. Finally, he takes delightful swipes at "language mavens" like William Safire and Richard Lederer, accusing them of rigidity and of grossly underestimating the average person's language skills. Pinker's book is a beautiful hymn to the infinite creative potential of language. Newbridge Book Clubs main selection; BOMC and QPB alternates. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Following fast on the heels of Joel Davis's Mother Tongue ( LJ 12/93) is another provocative and skillfully written book by an MIT professor who specializes in the language development of children. While Pinker covers some of the same ground as did Davis, he argues that an "innate grammatical machinery of the brain" exists, which allows children to "reinvent" language on their own. Basing his ideas on Noam Chomsky's Universal Grammar theory, Pinker describes language as a "discrete combinatorial system" that might easily have evolved via natural selection. Pinker steps on a few toes (language mavens beware!), but his work, while controversial, is well argued, challenging, often humorous, and always fascinating. Most public and academic libraries will want to add this title to their collections. Laurie Bartolini, Lincoln Lib., Springfield, Ill. 34 Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. New York Times Book Review "A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Atlantic Monthly "An exciting book, certain to produce argument." --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Boston Globe Book Review "An excellent book full of wit and wisdom and sound judgement." --This text refers to the Paperback edition. From Booklist Pinker, a respected cognitive scientist at MIT, has given the nonstudent a bridge into the interesting yet still controversial world of linguistics and cognitive science. Here, under a rather heavy Chomsky influence, Pinker discusses, among other things, how language evolved, how children acquire and develop language skills, and why the English language and its spelling aren't as nonlogical as such critics as George Bernard Shaw have claimed. Written for popular consumption, Pinker's discussions of such complicated arguments and theories as the various, disputable universal grammars and languages of thought, Quine's gavagai, and the world of morphemes and phonemes are all painless to read. Examples are clear and easy to understand; Pinker's humor and insight make this the perfect introduction to the world of cognitive science and language. Highly recommended for all academic libraries and for public libraries with solid psychology and philosophy collections. Caroline Andrew --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Kirkus Reviews Another in a series of books (Joel Davis's Mother Tongue, p. 1303; Ray Jackendorf's Patterns in the Mind, p. 1439) popularizing Chomsky's once controversial theories explaining the biological basis of language. Variously mellow, intense, and bemused--but never boring--Pinker (Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience/MIT), emphasizes Darwinian theory and defines language as a ``biological adaptation to communicate.'' While 35 Pinker bases his argument on the innate nature of language, he situates language in that transitional area between instinct and learned behavior, between nature and culture. Starting with what he calls a ``grammar gene,'' Pinker describes the way primitives, children (his special interest), even the deaf evolve natural languages responding to the universal need to communicate. He refutes the ``comic history'' of linguistic determinism, the belief that language shapes thinking, undermining it with examples from music, mathematics, and kinship theory. Following his lively, user-friendly demonstration of even the most forbidding aspects of linguistics, and his discussion of vocabulary, how words are acquired, built, and used, he rises to a celebration of the ``harmony between the mind...and the texture of reality.'' This theme, the power and mystery of the human mind, permeates Pinker's engaging study, balanced with the more sober scientific belief that the mind is an ``adapted computational model'': ``To a scientist,'' he writes, ``the fundamental fact of human language is its sheer improbability.'' Among the many interesting though not sequential ideas: If language is innate, biologically based, then it can't be taught either to animals or computers. Pinker shows why adults have difficulty learning a foreign language, and he mediates coolly between rules and usage, between systematic and non-prescriptive grammar. Designed for a popular audience, this is in fact a hefty read full of wonder and wisdom. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Boston Globe Book Review "An excellent book full of wit and wisdom and sound judgement." Noam Chomsky "An extremely valuable book, very informative, and very well written." New Scientist "Extremely important." --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Atlantic Monthly "An exciting book, certain to produce argument." Mind and Language "A brilliant piece of work." 36 New Scientist "Extremely important." Mind and Language "A brilliant piece of work." --This text refers to the Paperback edition. New Scientist "Extremely important." --This text refers to the Paperback edition. Noam Chomsky "An extremely valuable book, very informative, and very well written." -This text refers to the Paperback edition. Book Description In this classic study, the world's leading expert on language and the mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about languages: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it envolved. With wit, erudition, and deft use it everyday examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web spinning in spiders or sonar bats. 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. About the Author Steven Pinker is one of the world's leading experts on language and the mind. He has won several major awards for his teaching and his scientific research. Pinker is director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2000 The Human Inheritance : Genes, Languages, and Evolution (Hardcover) by Bryan Sykes "We are, of course, as humans all members of one species, Homo sapiens sapiens, and the differences among us are really quite limited..." (more) 2000 Evolution and the Human Mind : Modularity, Language and MetaCognition (Paperback) by Peter Carruthers (Editor), Andrew 37 Chamberlain (Editor) "The extension of Darwin's theory of evolution to human form, function and behaviour has always been controversial..." (more) 2000 Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca (Mark Seielstad trans.). 2000. Genes, Peoples, and Language. New York: North Point Press. 1999 Sykes, Bryan Ed. 1999. The Human Inheritance: Genes, Language, and Evolution. New York: Oxford University Press. 1999 Lock, Andrew & Charles R. Peters (Editors). 1999. Handbook of Human Symbolic Evolution. Oxford: Blackwell. 1. Photogallery of fossil skulls 2. An outline of human phylogeny Bernard G. Campbell 2.1 The nature of the evidence 2.2 The earliest apes 2.3 The earliest Hominidae: Australopithecus 2.4 The earliest humans: Homo habilis 2.5 Homo erectus 2.6 Modern humans: Homo sapiens 2.7 Discussion Editorial notes References 3. Evolutionary trees of apes and humans from DNA sequences Peter J. Waddell David Penny 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Reconstructing relationships: from DNA sequences to evolutionary history 3.2.1 Basic steps in obtaining a tree for a selected stretch of DNA 3.2.2 Putting dates on a tree 3.2.3 Results from other molecular data 3.2.4 Polymorphisms and population variability 3.2.5 Total error on estimated divergence times 3.3 Human genetic data: mtDNA sequences 3.3.1 Out-of-Africa, or mitochondrial Eve 38 3.3.2 Problems with trees from large numbers of sequences 3.3.3 Results from re-analysing the data 3.3.4 When, where, who, and how 3.3.4.1 When and where 3.3.4.2 Dating trees with archaeological evidence 3.3.4.3 Who and how 3.4 Trees of human relationships from nuclear genetic data 3.4.1 Alleles and polymorphisms 3.4.2 Ingroup dating of the tree 3.5 Conclusions and prospects Epilogue Notes References 4. Evolution of the human brain Ralph Holloway 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The human brain 4.3 Lines of evidence regarding human brain evolution 4.4 Palaeoneurological evidence 4.4.1 Brain size 4.4.1.1 Absolute brain size 4.4.1.2 Encephalization quotients 4.4.2 Organization of the brain 4.4.2.1 Relative increase in parietal lobe association cortex 4.4.2.2 A more human-like third inferior frontal convolution 4.4.2.3 Asymmetries of the brain and laterality 4.4.2.4 Towards a synthesis 4.5 Conclusion Appendix: Sexual dimorphism and the brain Notes 1998 The Symbolic Species: The Co-Evolution of Language and the Brain (Paperback) by Terrence W. Deacon "As our species designation-sapiens-suggests, the defining attribute of human beings is an unparalleled cognitive ability..." (more) 1998 Approaches to the Evolution of Language : Social and Cognitive 39 Bases (Paperback) by James R. Hurford (Editor), Michael StuddertKennedy (Editor), Chris Knight (Editor) "How unique is speech?..." (more) 1996 The Origin of Language : Tracing the Evolution of the Mother Tongue (Paperback) by Merritt Ruhlen "Inasmuch as written language, so far as anyone knows, is only about 5,000 years old-and spoken language by itself leaves no historical trace at allone..." (more) Editorial Reviews Amazon.com As a sophomore in college, I desperately wanted to major in theoretical linguistics, but I knew only three languages, and I was advised that this was insufficient for the major. Things might have been different if this book were available then: unlike most books about language evolution, Ruhlen's Origin of Language actually gets you involved in applying standard linguistic techniques to carefully chosen examples--by the end of the book, you will have constructed a family tree of the world's languages. And you needn't know any other than your mother tongue when you start, but you'll probably want to go out and learn several more languages by time you are done. Recommended. From Library Journal The study of linguistics has always been a good guidepost to research and studies in the other social sciences and humanities. Ruhlen (A Guide to the World's Languages, Stanford Univ. Pr., 1987) is a leader in the new attempt to write a unified theory of language development and diffusion. Starting with a do-it-yourself classification of language, he makes the case for one early language, using Joseph Greenberg's study of Native American languages as the key methodology in the reevaluation. He also cites the evidence in many fields pointing to an African development and then diffusion of Homo sapiens. An argumentative, controversial book but strongly reasoned and presented. Ruhlen explains the relationship among genetics, archaeology, and linguistic classification as an important new development in the study of prehistory and discusses the questions of the dating of early settlements in the Americas and Europe and the Banty Expansion. For informed lay readers. Gene Shaw, NYPL Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. 40 From Booklist Believing that doing is learning, Ruhlen encourages his readers to try their hand (and eye) at classifying languages. This exercise helps us appreciate the challenges inherent in the fascinating and controversial science of comparative linguistics. The theory behind this discipline states that languages evolve, travel, and interrelate. Working backward in time and history, Ruhlen describes the family of languages most familiar to his audience, the Indo-European, but soon has us scanning lists of words from a selection of African, Asian, and Native American tongues. Just as in a family tree, genetic linguistics links daughters to mothers to grandmothers, all the way back to prehistoric ancestors. At each crucial juncture, Ruhlen summarizes the pioneering work of linguists Sir William Jones, Joseph Greenberg, and Edward Sapir, each of whom discovered a protofamily at the root of hundreds of languages worldwide. The story of why these revelations were met with such resistance and resentment is a study in prejudice and close-mindedness. Ruhlen confidently concludes with a convincing argument for a common origin of all extant languages, whether that offends our cultural pride or not. Donna Seaman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Kirkus Reviews A world-class linguist demonstrates similarities among the globe's 5,000 languages to argue the case for a single, unifying Mother Tongue. Ruhlen (A Guide to the World's Languages, not reviewed) lets the lay reader share in the thrill of discovery with his hands-on lessons in classifying languages and reconstructing hypothetical proto-languages. A Stanford prot‚g‚ of controversial language- classification giant Joseph H. Greenberg (cited in the ample bibliography), the author aggressively takes on academic opponents who disdain comparative vocabulary studies in favor of regular sound correspondences in the establishment of language families. After the reader finds the cognate patterns among (unlabeled) words from different languages in a given table, the author lets us know that our findings would be rejected by the Indo-Europeanists who deny that Aryans have any linguistic relatives (read: No people of color need apply). With the help of global genetic studies, these old white racist farts are shown to be perpetuating ``one of the great hoaxes of twentieth-century science.'' While many of us can cheer that ``it's a small world after all,'' Ruhlen has his own tilt towards a pan-racial homeland in Africa. He thus parts with the wellpublicized founders of Nostratic, the language superfamily that points to an origin in the Near East, where both the Bible (never mentioned here) and 41 archaeology place the oldest talking humans. The reader does not get to hear or test theories on the whys and hows of linguistic diversity, but from Ruhlen's word tables, language trees, and maps there emerges a well-argued thesis against the Eurocentrists and for a monogenesis of language. A courageous, eloquent book of great significance to all who care about where we came from. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Book Description The Origin of Language A critically acclaimed journey back through time in search of the Mother Tongue and the roots of the human family "Invites the reader to learn and apply the common process used by linguists." —Science News "This book represents exactly the kind of thinking that is needed to pull historical linguistics out of its twentieth-century doldrums. . . . [W]ithout a doubt, a very readable book, well adapted to its popularizing aim." —LOS Forum "Believing that doing is learning, Ruhlen encourages his readers to try their hand (and eye) at classifying languages. This exercise helps us appreciate the challenges inherent in this fascinating and controversial science of comparative linguistics." —Booklist "Ruhlen is a leader in the new attempt to write the unified theory of language development and diffusion." —Library Journal "A powerful statement [and] also a wonderfully clear exposition of linguistic thinking about prehistory. . . . [Q]uite solid and very well presented." —Anthropological Science From the Back Cover The Origin of Language A critically acclaimed journey back through time in search of the Mother Tongue and the roots of the human family "Invites the reader to learn and apply the common process used by linguists." —Science News 42 "This book represents exactly the kind of thinking that is needed to pull historical linguistics out of its twentieth-century doldrums. . . . [W]ithout a doubt, a very readable book, well adapted to its popularizing aim." —LOS Forum "Believing that doing is learning, Ruhlen encourages his readers to try their hand (and eye) at classifying languages. This exercise helps us appreciate the challenges inherent in this fascinating and controversial science of comparative linguistics." —Booklist "Ruhlen is a leader in the new attempt to write the unified theory of language development and diffusion." —Library Journal "A powerful statement [and] also a wonderfully clear exposition of linguistic thinking about prehistory. . . . [Q]uite solid and very well presented." —Anthropological Science About the Author MERRITT RUHLEN, Ph.D., is one of the world's foremost linguists, and his work has been featured in nearly every recent major article on the history of language. Dr. Ruhlen received his Ph.D. in linguistics from Stanford University, and studied linguistics at the University of Paris, the University of Bucharest, and the University of Illinois. He has published more than forty articles, monographs, and books on various topics in linguistics. 1996 The History and Geography of Human Genes : (Abridged paperback edition) [ABRIDGED] (Paperback) by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, Paolo Menozzi, Alberto Piazza Editorial Reviews Time magazine Nothing less than the first genetic atlas of the world.... [This] landmark global study flattens The Bell Curve, proving that racial differences are only skin deep. Science magazine This is the most comprehensive treatment of human genetic variations available.... It will likely play an important role in future research in anthropological genetics.... An impressive display of synthesis and analysis. Review 43 A crowning achievement, a compendium of a career's work, and a sourcebook for years to come. . . . a landmark publication, a standard by which work in this field must be judged in the future. Book Description Hailed as a breakthrough in the understanding of human evolution, The History and Geography of Human Genes offers the first full-scale reconstruction of where human populations originated and the paths by which they spread throughout the world. By mapping the worldwide geographic distribution of genes for over 110 traits in over 1800 primarily aboriginal populations, the authors charted migrations and devised a clock by which to date evolutionary history. This monumental work is now available in a more affordable paperback edition without the myriad illustrations and maps, but containing the full text and partial appendices of the authors' pathbreaking endeavor. From the Publisher Hailed as a breakthrough in the understanding of human evolution, The History and Geography of Human Genes offers the first fullscale reconstruction of where human populations originated and the paths by which they spread throughout the world. By mapping the worldwide geographic distribution of genes for over 110 traits in over 1800 primarily aboriginal populations, the authors charted migrations and devised a clock by which to date evolutionary history. This monumental work is now available in a more affordable paperback edition without the myriad illustrations and maps, but containing the full text and partial appendices of the authors' pathbreaking endeavor. From the Inside Flap "The enormous breadth of its conclusions and its global scope will make this an extremely important book in the whole field of the humanities and in the scientific study of human populations. The authors are pioneering in their mapping of gene frequency distributions and in their historical interpretations of that patterning."--Colin Renfrew, Jesus College, University of Cambridge --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. 1996 Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (Paperback) by Daniel C. Dennett "We used to sing a lot when I was a child, around the campfire at summer 44 camp, at school and Sunday school, or gathered around..." (more) Editorial Reviews Amazon.com One of the best descriptions of the nature and implications of Darwinian evolution ever written, it is firmly based in biological information and appropriately extrapolated to possible applications to engineering and cultural evolution. Dennett's analyses of the objections to evolutionary theory are unsurpassed. Extremely lucid, wonderfully written, and scientifically and philosophically impeccable. Highest Recommendation! From Publishers Weekly Dennett's philosophical argument in support of Darwinism was a National Book Award finalist. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Dennett, the author of Consciousness Explained (Little, Brown, 1991) and director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, challenges us to examine Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection with renewed, emphatic vigor. Current controversies associated with the origin of life, sociobiology, punctuated equilibrium, the evolution of culture and language, and evolutionary ethics are investigated rigorously within the context of Darwinian science and philosophy. Dennett challenges the ideas of several imminent scientists, including Roger Penrose and Stephen Jay Gould, who, Dennett asserts, tend to limit the power or implications of Darwin's dangerous ideas. Gould's influential publications have contributed to a seriously distorted perception of evolutionary biology, according to Dennett. As he explores issues of morality and consciousness, Dennett essentially extends the theories of natural selection far beyond the biological disciplines. Dennett's assertions and ideas stimulate. Enthusiastically recommended for scholars, specialists, and informed lay readers. -?Donald G. Frank, Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. The Wall Street Journal Dennett is a philosopher of rare originality, rigor, and wit. Here he does one of the things philosophers are supposed to be good at: clearing up conceptual muddles in the sciences. From Booklist In 1991 Dennett wrote Consciousness Explained, and it so burned up the religious minded they tagged it Consciousness Explained Away. Here, 45 Dennett presses forward the implications of natural selection (the "dangerous idea" ) in a presentation most readers will find rather technical, but for those who persevere, understanding of its mechanisms, particularly the algorithms by which natural selection operates, should gradually sink in. Understanding is facilitated by Dennett's cogent organization, which accounts for all possible evolutionary outcomes (a virtual infinity of possibilities dubbed Design Space), followed by his explanation of the relentless, purposeless winnowing that results in the life-forms that exist today. Yet, however persuasive Dennett's view is, not all evolutionists share it, namely the oft-cited Stephen Gould, and readers who enjoy argumentativeness can follow Dennett blasting Gould's idea of "punctuated equilibrium" for dozens of pages. Ending with a Nietzschean explanation for human morals, Dennett's deep-diving work challenges studious readers but should survive the struggle for shelf space in big, highly evolved libraries. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review James Moore coauthor of Darwin A brilliant piece of persuasion, excitingly argued and compulsively readable. Its lucid metaphors and charming analogies are reminiscent of On the Origin of Species. Carl Sagan The Washington Post Book World A breath of fresh air. Richard Dawkins author of The Blind Watchmaker A surpassingly brilliant book. Where creative, it lifts the reader to new intellectual heights. Where critical, it is devastating. Richard Rorty Lingua Franca 46 One of our most original and most readable philosophers....Once in a blue moon an analytic philosopher comes along who redeems his subdiscipline by combining professional persnicketiness with a romantic spirit, a vivid imagination, and a sense of humor. John Gribbin Sunday Times, London This is the best single-author overview of all the implications of evolution by natural selection available....Lucid and entertaining. Review John Gribbin Sunday Times, London This is the best single-author overview of all the implications of evolution by natural selection available....Lucid and entertaining. Book Description In a book that is both groundbreaking and accessible, Daniel C. Dennett, whom Chet Raymo of The Boston Globe calls "one of the most provocative thinkers on the planet," focuses his unerringly logical mind on the theory of natural selection, showing how Darwin's great idea transforms and illuminates our traditional view of humanity's place in the universe. Dennett vividly describes the theory itself and then extends Darwin's vision with impeccable arguments to their often surprising conclusions, challenging the views of some of the most famous scientists of our day. About the Author Daniel Dennett is the author of Brainstorms, Elbow Room, and Consciousness Explained. He is currently the Distinguished Arts and Sciences Professor and Director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. He lives in North Andover, Massachusetts, with his wife and has two children. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 Tell Me Why 1. Is Nothing Sacred? We used to sing a lot when I was a child, around the campfire at summer camp, at school and Sunday school, or gathered around the piano at home. 47 One of my favorite songs was "Tell Me Why." (For those whose personal memories don't already embrace this little treasure, the music is provided in the appendix. The simple melody and easy harmony line are surprisingly beautiful.) Tell me why the stars do shine, Tell me why the ivy twines, Tell me why the sky's so blue. Then I will tell you just why I love you. Because God made the stars to shine, Because God made the ivy twine, Because God made the sky so blue. Because God made you, that's why I love you. This straightforward, sentimental declaration still brings a lump to my throat -- so sweet, so innocent, so reassuring a vision of life! And then along comes Darwin and spoils the picnic. Or does he? That is the topic of this book. From the moment of the publication of Origin of Species in 1859, Charles Darwin's fundamental idea has inspired intense reactions ranging from ferocious condemnation to ecstatic allegiance, sometimes tantamount to religious zeal. Darwin's theory has been abused and misrepresented by friend and foe alike. It has been misappropriated to lend scientific respectability to appalling political and social doctrines. It has been pilloried in caricature by opponents, some of whom would have it compete in our children's schools with "creation science," a pathetic hodgepodge of pious pseudo-science. Almost no one is indifferent to Darwin, and no one should be. The Darwinian theory is a scientific theory, and a great one, but that is not all it is. The creationists who oppose it so bitterly are right about one thing: Darwin's dangerous idea cuts much deeper into the fabric of our most fundamental beliefs than many of its sophisticated apologists have yet admitted, even to themselves. The sweet, simple vision of the song, taken literally, is one that most of us have outgrown, however fondly we may recall it. The kindly God who 48 lovingly fashioned each and every one of us (all creatures great and small) and sprinkled the sky with shining stars for our delight -- that God is, like Santa Claus, a myth of childhood, not anything a sane, undeluded adult could literally believe in. That God must either be turned into a symbol for something less concrete or abandoned altogether. Not all scientists and philosophers are atheists, and many who are believers declare that their idea of God can live in peaceful coexistence with, or even find support from, the Darwinian framework of ideas. Theirs is not an anthropomorphic Handicrafter God, but still a God worthy of worship in their eyes, capable of giving consolation and meaning to their lives. Others ground their highest concerns in entirely secular philosophies, views of the meaning of life that stave oft despair without the aid of any concept of a Supreme Being -- other than the Universe itself. Something is sacred to these thinkers, but they do not call it God; they call it, perhaps, Life, or Love, or Goodness, or Intelligence, or Beauty, or Humanity. What both groups share, in spite of the differences in their deepest creeds, is a conviction that life does have meaning, that goodness matters. But can any version of this attitude of wonder and purpose be sustained in the face of Darwinism? From the outset, there have been those who thought they saw Darwin letting the worst possible cat out of the bag: nihilism. They thought that if Darwin was right, the implication would be that nothing could be sacred. To put it bluntly, nothing could have any point. Is this just an overreaction? What exactly are the implications of Darwin's idea -- and, in any case, has it been scientifically proven or is it still "just a theory"? Perhaps, you may think, we could make a useful division: there are the parts of Darwin's idea that really are established beyond any reasonable doubt, and then there are the speculative extensions of the scientifically irresistible parts. Then -- if we were lucky -- perhaps the rock-solid scientific facts would have no stunning implications about religion, or human nature, or the meaning of life, while the parts of Darwin's idea that get people all upset could be put into quarantine as highly controversial extensions of, or mere interpretations of, the scientifically irresistible parts. That would be reassuring. But alas, that is just about backwards. There are vigorous controversies swirling around in evolutionary theory, but those who feel threatened by Darwinism should not take heart from this fact. Most -- if not quite all -- of 49 the controversies concern issues that are "just science"; no matter which side wins, the outcome will not undo the basic Darwinian idea. That idea, which is about as secure as any in science, really does have far-reaching implications for our vision of what the meaning of life is or could be. In 1543, Copernicus proposed that the Earth was not the center of the universe but in fact revolved around the Sun. It took over a century for the idea to sink in, a gradual and actually rather painless transformation. (The religious reformer Philipp Melanchthon, a collaborator of Martin Luther, opined that "some Christian prince" should suppress this madman, but aside from a few such salvos, the world was not particularly shaken by Copernicus himself.) The Copernican Revolution did eventually have its own "shot heard round the world": Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, but it was not published until 1632, when the issue was no longer controversial among scientists. Galileo's projectile provoked an infamous response by the Roman Catholic Church, setting up a shock wave whose reverberations are only now dying out. But in spite of the drama of that epic confrontation, the idea that our planet is not the center of creation has sat rather lightly in people's minds. Every schoolchild today accepts this as the matter of fact it is, without tears or terror. In due course, the Darwinian Revolution will come to occupy a similarly secure and untroubled place in the minds -- and hearts -- of every educated person on the globe, but today, more than a century after Darwin's death, we still have not come to terms with its mind-boggling implications. Unlike the Copernican Revolution, which did not engage widespread public attention until the scientific details had been largely sorted out, the Darwinian Revolution has had anxious lay spectators and cheerleaders taking sides from the outset, tugging at the sleeves of the participants and encouraging grandstanding. The scientists themselves have been moved by the same hopes and fears, so it is not surprising that the relatively narrow conflicts among theorists have often been not just blown up out of proportion by their adherents, but seriously distorted in the process. Everybody has seen, dimly, that a lot is at stake. Moreover, although Darwin's own articulation of his theory was monumental, and its powers were immediately recognized by many of the scientists and other thinkers of his day, there really were large gaps in his theory that have only recently begun to be properly filled in. The biggest gap looks almost comical in retrospect. In all his brilliant musings, Darwin 50 never hit upon the central concept, without which the theory of evolution is hopeless: the concept of a gene. Darwin had no proper unit of heredity, and so his account of the process of natural selection was plagued with entirely reasonable doubts about whether it would work. Darwin supposed that offspring would always exhibit a sort of blend or average of their parents' features. Wouldn't such "blending inheritance" always simply average out all differences, turning everything into uniform gray? How could diversity survive such relentless averaging? Darwin recognized the seriousness of this challenge, and neither he nor his many ardent supporters succeeded in responding with a description of a convincing and well-documented mechanism of heredity that could combine traits of parents while maintaining an underlying and unchanged identity. The idea they needed was right at hand, uncovered ("formulated" would be too strong) by the monk Gregor Mendel and published in a relatively obscure Austrian journal in 1865, but, in the best-savored irony in the history of science, it lay there unnoticed until its importance was appreciated (at first dimly) around 1900. Its triumphant establishment at the heart of the "Modern Synthesis" (in effect, the synthesis of Mendel and Darwin) was eventually made secure in the 1940s, thanks to the work of Theodosius Dobzhansky, Julian Huxley, Ernst Mayr, and others. It has taken another half-century to iron out most of the wrinkles of that new fabric. The fundamental core of contemporary Darwinism, the theory of DNAbased reproduction and evolution, is now beyond dispute among scientists. It demonstrates its power every day, contributing crucially to the explanation of planet-sized facts of geology and meteorology, through middle-sized facts of ecology and agronomy, down to the latest microscopic facts of genetic engineering. It unifies all of biology and the history of our planet into a single grand story. Like Gulliver tied down in Lilliput, it is unbudgeable, not because of some one or two huge chains of argument that might -- hope against hope -- have weak links in them, but because it is securely tied by hundreds of thousands of threads of evidence anchoring it to virtually every other area of human knowledge. New discoveries may conceivably lead to dramatic, even "revolutionary" shifts in the Darwinian theory, but. the hope that it will be "refuted" by some shattering breakthrough is about as reasonable as the hope that we will return to a geocentric vision and discard Copernicus. 51 Still, the theory is embroiled in remarkably hot-tempered controversy, and one of the reasons for this incandescence is that these debates about scientific ma... 1995 Puppel, Stanislaw Ed. 1995. The Biology of Language. Amsterdam: J. Benjamins. 1995 Patterns in the Mind: Language and Human Nature (Paperback) by Ray Jackendoff "Why are we the way we are?..." (more) 1994 The History and Geography of Human Genes by Luigi Luca CavalliSforza, Paolo Menozzi, Alberto Piazza "For some time, geneticists had been aware of a certain amount of genetic variation among the individuals forming a species, but the remarkable extent of..." (more) List Price: $39.50 Our Price: $31.60 You Save: $7.90 (20%) Table of Contents Preface to the Paperback Edition Preface Acknowledgments Ch. 1 Introduction to Concepts, Data, and Methods Ch. 2 Genetic History of World Populations Ch. 3 Africa Ch. 4 Asia Ch. 5 Europe Ch. 6 America Ch. 7 Australia, New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands Ch. 8 Epilogue Literature Cited Index Editorial Reviews Time magazine Nothing less than the first genetic atlas of the world.... [This] landmark global study flattens The Bell Curve, proving that racial differences are only skin deep. 52 Science magazine This is the most comprehensive treatment of human genetic variations available.... It will likely play an important role in future research in anthropological genetics.... An impressive display of synthesis and analysis. Book Description Hailed as a breakthrough in the understanding of human evolution, The History and Geography of Human Genes offers the first full-scale reconstruction of where human populations originated and the paths by which they spread throughout the world. By mapping the worldwide geographic distribution of genes for over 110 traits in over 1800 primarily aboriginal populations, the authors charted migrations and devised a clock by which to date evolutionary history. This monumental work is now available in a more affordable paperback edition without the myriad illustrations and maps, but containing the full text and partial appendices of the authors' pathbreaking endeavor. From the Publisher Hailed as a breakthrough in the understanding of human evolution, The History and Geography of Human Genes offers the first fullscale reconstruction of where human populations originated and the paths by which they spread throughout the world. By mapping the worldwide geographic distribution of genes for over 110 traits in over 1800 primarily aboriginal populations, the authors charted migrations and devised a clock by which to date evolutionary history. This monumental work is now available in a more affordable paperback edition without the myriad illustrations and maps, but containing the full text and partial appendices of the authors' pathbreaking endeavor. 1994 Nature's Mind: The Biological Roots of Thinking, Emotions, Sexuality, Language, and Intelligence (Paperback) by Michael S. Gazzaniga 53