How The Mind Works, by Steven Pinker
I’ve now finished this book. Good God, it was a chore.It is one of those books that comes recommended as “readable” and “witty”, but, to me, wasn’t at all. The first half was rather turgid; the second half interesting but long.Oh well. The information in it was extremely useful: evolutionary and cognitive stuff. I’m glad I’ve read it. I’m also glad I won’t have to again.
1 comment
I haven’t read Pinker much, but I understand he’s a nearly-orthodox Chomskyan, which would keep me from putting too much trust in him. IMHO Chomsky’s linguistics is an improvement over the Skinnerian theory of language it replaced, but not much more good can be said of it.
Apparently I’m not alone. http://zompist.wordpress.com/2008/11/15/best-language-theory-yet/