LINGUIST List 11.1752

Mon Aug 14 2000

Books: General Linguistics, Biolinguistics

Editor for this issue: Scott Fults <scottlinguistlist.org>



Links to the websites of all LINGUIST's supporting publishers are available at the end of this issue.

Directory

  • Joyce Reid, General Ling & Philosophy of Lang: Chomsky: Ideas & Ideals, N. Smith
  • Joyce Reid, Biolinguistics: Exploring the Biology of Language, L. Jenkins

    Message 1: General Ling & Philosophy of Lang: Chomsky: Ideas & Ideals, N. Smith

     Date: 11 Aug 00 12:50:29 +0800
    From: Joyce Reid <jreidcup.org>
    Subject: General Ling & Philosophy of Lang: Chomsky: Ideas & Ideals, N. Smith


    Chomsky Ideas and Ideals

    Neil Smith, University College London

    Chomsky has had a major influence on modern linguistics, psychology, and philosophy. In this rigorous yet accessible account of Chomsky's work, Neil Smith analyzes Chomsky's key contributions to the study of both language and the mind. He gives a detailed exposition of Chomsky's linguistic theorizing, and examines the ideas for which he is best known. Finally, Smith examines Chomsky's political ideas and how these fit intellectually with his scholarly work. Throughout, Smith explores the controversy surrounding Chomsky's work, and explains why he has been both adulated and vilified.

    Contents:

    Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. The mirror of the mind; 2. The linguistic foundation; 3. Psychological reality; 4. Philosophical realism: commitments and controversies; 5. Language and freedom; Conclusion, Envoi; Notes and references; Bibliography; Index.

    1999/278 pp. 0-521-47517-1/Hb/List: $54.95 Disc.: $43.96 0-521-47570-8/Pb/List: $19.95 Disc.: $15.96

    AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW

    http://www.cambridge.org

    Message 2: Biolinguistics: Exploring the Biology of Language, L. Jenkins

     Date: 11 Aug 00 12:45:03 +0800
    From: Joyce Reid <jreidcup.org>
    Subject: Biolinguistics: Exploring the Biology of Language, L. Jenkins


    Biolinguistics Exploring the Biology of Language Lyle Jenkins, Biolinguistics Institute, Cambridge, MA

    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.

    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.

    2000/278 pp. 0-521-65233-2/Hb/List: $59.95, Disc.: $47.96

    AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW

    http://www.cambridge.org
    Pubs-postscript-html